Court: Flintshire man jailed after drink-drive crash

Carl Davies, of Ivy Court in Connah's Quay, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court via video link from HMP Berwyn on Thursday.

The 46-year-old admitted that on March 1, he drove a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that at around 9pm on the day of the offence, members of the public informed police of a collision in Northop.

The defendant, driving an Audi A3, had collided with a parked vehicle - which was pushed into another vehicle, causing damage.

An off-duty police officer who saw the crash witnessed Davies getting out of his car and examining the damage before getting back behind the wheel.

Carl Davies (NWP) (Image: North Wales Police)The officer managed to detain him and took the keys from the car.

When on-duty police arrived, Davies smelled heavily of intoxicants.

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He provided an evidential reading of 74 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

Mike Pugh, defending, told the court his client's actions had involved a "minor collision."

The reason his client appeared in court via video from prison was because his arrest had resulted in his recall to jail, as he was on licence at the time.

It was a "frustrating" turn of events, Mr Pugh said, as Davies had made efforts to rehabilitate himself and had enrolled on a HGV course - which would now "fall by the wayside."

"This is a setback for him and he knows he is going to be banned from driving," he added.

"The options available to the court are limited.

"I ask the court to consider a short custodial sentence."

As such, the Magistrates handed down a 22 month driving ban, as well as a four-week custodial term.

Davies must pay a £154 victim surcharge on his release and was warned not to get behind the wheel again until he has his licence back in his hand.