Penalty of £400 given to '˜stupid' drink-driver

Joe Madgwick, 22, had been drinking with a pal when he decided to drive a Ford Focus hire car on the short journey.

Police stopped him and found he was more than double the limit. A test showed he had 94mcg in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35mcg.

Sentencing, city magistrate Edward Searle said he was fining Madgwick £400 ‘to reflect his level of stupidity’. He was banned for 24 months.

Madgwick, of Balderton Close, Hilsea, was stopped in Copnor Road on April 19.

Graham Heath, prosecuting, said Madgwick had been driving ‘poorly’.

Bill Charlton, for Madgwick, said this was due to him driving an unfamiliar car.

He added: ‘For reasons best known to himself he did do that, he decided to drive and pulled out in front of a police car, which is never a sensible thing to do, particularly when you’ve drunk so much.’

He must pay £90 legal costs.