Suspended prison sentence for motorist arrested as part of annual drink drive campaign

A 51-year-old man who was arrested during Northamptonshire Police’s annual winter drink and drug driving campaign has been handed a 12-week prison sentence - suspended for one year.

Philip Weston was arrested at 10.45pm on Wednesday, December 6, following a road traffic collision in Main Street, East Haddon, involving his black Range Rover Vogue and two parked cars.

Weston of East Street, Long Buckby, told police officers that he had lost control of his vehicle as he went round a corner, causing it to skid for unknown reasons, which resulted in the Range Rover driving over the top of a white BMW M2 series.

However, despite damage to the front of his own vehicle, Weston attempted to drive off and collided with a second parked car – a pink Fiat 500 Lounge – before becoming embedded into a wall.

At the scene, Weston told officers that he had drunk five standard sized cans of Stella Artois beer during the evening and had been driving home after visiting a relative in the Kingsthorpe area of Northampton.

Weston was arrested on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit of alcohol and once in custody he provided an evidential breath sample of 126 – just over three-and-a-half times the legal drink drive limit which is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

He was subsequently charged and bailed to appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on December 21 last year, where he pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol.

Due to the offence being deemed so serious because of the high reading, the hearing was adjourned for pre-sentencing reports and on Thursday, February 1, Weston was back before magistrates to hear their judgement.

Weston was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for one year, and disqualified from driving for 30 months. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £154 victim surcharge as well as complete a rehabilitation activity and a 120-day alcohol abstinence requirement.

Arresting officer, PC Michael Hollowell of the Force’s Roads Policing Team, said: “We see the devastating effects drink and drug driving can have and therefore it is extremely disappointing that some people still choose to ignore our advice and break the law in this way.

“Getting behind the wheel – more than three times over the limit – is not just selfish, but dangerous and reckless and Weston is fortunate that his actions didn’t kill or seriously injure someone.

“Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains the priority for Northamptonshire Police and our partners at the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance, and we will continue to robustly keep such irresponsible drivers off our roads.”

Tragically in 2022, after being involved in a road collision in Northamptonshire, 36 people never returned home safely to their loved ones, and 347 required urgent medical assistance for serious and life-changing injuries.