Banned Ollerton driver borrowed mate's car for a drive

Spencer Froggatt was arrested after a police check revealed he was not the owner of the VW Golf that he was driving around Ollerton in the early hours of December 8.

A test revealed he had 53 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath, when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

At the police station he was found with a small amount of diazepam and tested positive for cocaine.

Ben Brown, mitigating, said Froggatt had developed a gambling problem which led to bankruptcy, and he had turned to drink.

He said that Froggatt had suffered depression, and struggled to get to work as a chemical engineer in Newark.

“He started to self-medicate on diazepam,” Mr Brown added.

“There’s no excuse for this behaviour. He said it is stupidity and I think that’s a term we can all agree on. He is very sorry.”

He said Froggatt’s parents had recently gone through a “nasty” divorce, his grandfather had been “destroyed” after he was threatened with a firearm, and his mother had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

Probation officer Sarah Alderton said Frogggatt was drinking eight pints on a daily basis at his worst, but had since sought help from his GP and was taking anti-alcohol medication.

She said he had received a lot of support from his employers.

Froggatt, 25, of Hawthorn Close, New Ollerton, admitted drink driving, driving without insurance or a license, taking without the owner’s consent, and possession of a Class C drug, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

Magistrates handed him a 12 month community order, with 50 hours of unpaid work.

He must also carry out 10 days of a rehabilitation activity to address his gambling, alcohol, and drug use, and a 30 day programme to address his thinking skills.

He was banned for 36 months, but was offered a drink-drive rehabilitation course which will reduce the disqualification by 274 days by if completed before February 2021.

Court costs of £85 and an £85 government surcharge were ordered.