A porter at the Royal United Hospital in Bath might lose his job after being convicted of drink-driving, city magistrates heard.
David Taylor, 59, of Redland Park in Twerton, appeared in the dock on Wednesday 6th August to admit the offence.
He had been at the wheel of his Ford Focus on 20th July in Redland Park, not thinking he was over the drink-drive limit at the time.
He took his eyes off the road for a moment when an alert came through on his phone, only to collide with a parked vehicle.
No one was injured, but an ambulance had to be called because Taylor suffered a cut to the head after reportedly being assaulted by a member of the public.
The police asked for a breath test, which Taylor refused, so he was arrested. After receiving stitches at the Royal United Hospital, he was taken to Keynsham Police Centre where the lower reading he gave was 54 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
The court heard that Taylor had been feeling down since the death in April of his father, who had dementia; Taylor’s manager had sent him home when he went back to work after the drink-driving incident and had suggested he get bereavement counselling, which he is now considering.
He had told his employer that he was going to court. He drives vans as part of his role at the hospital, so might lose his job.
Magistrates fined him £450 with a £180 surcharge and £85 costs. He was banned from driving for 14 months but that will be reduced by 25% as he intends to do a drink-drive rehabilitation course.
