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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.