Drink driver 4 times over limit foced to face alcoholism

A Mansfield man who was caught more than four times over the drink drive limit and facing jail was forced to confront his alcoholism, a court heard.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.Mansfield Magistrates Court.
Mansfield Magistrates Court.

CCTV operators reported James Docherty’s Peugeot to police, on December 27, and officers saw him parking outside his address on Fell Wilson Street, Warsop.

Docherty, 41, admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court.

A test revealed he had 147 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Chris Perry, mitigating, said Docherty was a functioning alcoholic who gave up his job as a manager with Severn Trent six months ago because of depression.

Since then his mother died and his wife left him, taking their three children, he said.

He said Docherty was “willing and eager” to address his drinking “now that the spotlight has been shone on his problem.”

He had since found a new job working for a landlord who owns properties around the country.

District Judge Andrew Mechin told him: “With a reading of 147, custody was inevitable.

“However, I have heard what has been said on your behalf and the mitigation that has been presented.”

He gave Docherty an eight week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. He must carry out eight days of a rehabilitation activity to tackle his drinking.

He was banned for 36 months and ordered to pay an £85 fine, £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.