Jail for banned Worksop driver who ‘borrowed’ and crashed works van while drunk

A banned Worksop driver who borrowed his boss’s vehicle without permission and got drunk before crashing it into another car has been locked up.
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Ryan Gee's colleague left him the keys so he could access tools but didn't give him permission to drive it, after hearing he was getting his licence back in a couple of weeks, said prosecutor Rebecca Williams.

He was driving with a passenger when he struck a red Mini Cooper, parked on Sunnybank, damaging a wing mirror and side panel, on April 1.

Ms Williams said a breath test revealed the 'incredibly high reading' of 146 mcgs of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

Gee, aged 33, was banned from driving for aggravated vehicle taking in May 2021, after he borrowed his then-girlfriend's car and rear-ended another vehicle.

He was subject to a community order and also has a previous conviction for drink-driving in 2016.

Pari Seeley, mitigating, said the first hearing was adjourned so he could attend the funeral of his baby son.

She said Gee had to stop working after ‘a campaign of harassment’ by his former partner affected his mental health.

“He has been through a lot this year and he turned to drink,” Ms Seeley said. “The probation service understand that drink is more of a crutch than a dependency.

"He is keen to have an alcohol treatment requirement to help with coping strategies.”

Gee, of Valley Road, Worksop, admitted drink driving, without a licence or insurance, and aggravated vehicle taking, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on May 3.

On Thursday, he was jailed for 23 weeks and disqualified for 51 months.