A NAVY Veteran has been fined and banned after he was caught drink-driving on Remembrance Sunday.
Kevin Stead, of Ffordd Las in Sychdyn, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The 75-year-old admitted that on November 13, he drove a Ford Fiesta in Ffordd Las after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.
He was found to have 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.
Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that at around 9.40pm on the day, police were called to Sychdyn following reports of an intoxicated man driving a Ford Fiesta.
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Officers attended and stopped the defendant in Ffordd Las.
He was arrested and taken to Llay custody facility, where have gave the 87 microgramme reading.
The defendant was of previous good character, Ms Jackson said.
Ceri Lewis, defending, explained: "This was Remembrance Sunday; a very emotive day for Mr Stead.
"He did serve in the Navy for a number of years. He'd put his medals on, been to the Cenotaph, and then he went to a local hotel for a drink."
She told the court her client had lost track of time and how many drinks he'd had, saying he'd "stupidly got in the car as opposed to a taxi."
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Not only had he lost his good character, she said, but the inevitable driving ban meant he'd lost his independence - with public transport links being "very limited" in his area.
District Judge Gwyn Jones recognised the defendant was a man of "hitherto unblemished character" who had made an "extremely foolish decision," fining him £100 for the offence.
The defendant must pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
He was banned from driving for 22 months.
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