Drink driver spared prison
A MAN from Newmarket who was caught drink driving twice in two months has avoided a jail sentence.
Nicholas Flack, of Fairlawns, committed his second drink driving offence while he was on summons for the first, a court heard.
The 60 year old was more than double the legal alcohol limit when he was first stopped by police on November 12, 2011, while driving a Mercedes E320 on the A11 at Red Lodge.
A breath test showed he had 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
Two months later, on January 12, he was stopped by police in Newmarket and found with 93 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath in his system.
Flack appeared before magistrates in Bury St Edmunds on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to two charges of drink driving.
Rosalind Cappleman, prosecuting, told the court that Flack was seen driving on the A11 at excess speed and swerving across lanes.
Michael Drake, representing Flack, said he had recently been made redundant and that his “life was falling apart”.
He said: “He is a man who has gone off the rails and had a massive nervous breakdown.”
Probation officer Marie Bluett told the court that, since the offences, Flack had stopped drinking and was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
She said: “Due to Mr Flack’s mental health issues at the time he wasn’t functioning as he would normally do.”
District judge David Cooper said: “He is a pillar of the community who, through a combination of circumstances, has fallen away from his own high standards. I think it is very sad.”
Flack was banned from driving for three years and ordered to serve a 12-month community order with supervision as well as attend 13 sessions of Alcohol Specified Activity Requirement.
He was also ordered to pay £85 in court costs.
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