Man, 48, who was four times alcohol limit crashed into cars, fence and wall

Oliver Dixon’s Ford Mondeo collided with two parked cars, a fence and a wall.

Residents who were disturbed by the sound of the crash in Post Office Road, Dersingham, came out of their homes to see what the commotion was.

King’s Lynn Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday that one of them opened the door of the car as Dixon was trying to restart the engine.

“However, the defendant tried several times to start the engine and then got out. He was unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech,” said Monali Raleraskar, prosecuting.

“He was followed by one of the residents who pointed him out to police when they arrived.”

Dixon, of Hall Road, Shernborne, was arrested and later blew 146 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

In interview, he told police he’d been to his ex-wife’s and they’d both been drinking. He had drunk a lot of vodka before she threw him out.

Dixon pleaded guilty to drink-driving on November 11.

Solicitor George Sorrell, mitigating, said his client had suffered fractured ribs and a cracked sternum in the crash.

“The police had to take him to hospital,” he added. “He pleaded with [hospital staff] to keep him in to help clear himself of alcohol.

“And they did that – they kept him in for a week because they were so concerned about him. He was detoxified, so to speak.

“Since the incident he hasn’t drunk at all so that’s worked.”

Referring to the drink-driving, Mr Sorrell said: “When she asked him to leave, by then he had consumed a large quantity of vodka but he thought – and this only goes to show how intoxicant can effect one’s common sense – if he got a move on, the effects of the alcohol wouldn’t be too severe.”

Dixon was given 16 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years.

He was banned from driving for 30 months, which can be cut with completion of a drink-driver rehabilitation course.

He was also ordered to pay £128 victim surcharge and £105 costs.