A father of two from Bloxwich was discovered slumped over the steering wheel of his car in Wolverhampton by a passing paramedic. Christopher Fuller had gone for a drive following an argument with his partner and had collided with a traffic island.
At Dudley Magistrates' Court, it was heard Fuller was awaiting vehicle recovery on Wednesfield Way when he picked up a bottle of rum and started drinking. Subsequent tests revealed he was more than three-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit.
Prosecutor Savithru Wijeratne explained that ambulance staff reported a man slumped over the steering wheel of a white Citroën, which was parked with hazard lights on and keys in the ignition. The paramedic knocked on the window but initially received no response before opening the door, which roused Fuller.
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Fuller told the paramedics he had been involved in a minor collision with a road island and had contacted his insurance company to arrange recovery. Police were called after the paramedic suspected he was under the influence. Officers noted his intoxication, describing his breath as smelling of alcohol and his eyes as glazed, before arresting him following a positive roadside breath test.
The test showed Fuller had 123 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, whereas the legal limit is 35 micrograms. As there were no witnesses to Fuller actually driving, he was charged with being in charge of a motor vehicle while over the alcohol limit.
Fuller, 42, pleaded guilty on August 27. His legal representative stated that he had driven following an argument with his partner to calm down, had purchased rum, but had not consumed any alcohol before colliding with the island. She added that he only started drinking while waiting for vehicle recovery.
During sentencing, magistrate Jane Goode acknowledged the seriousness of the high alcohol reading and the accident, stating a driving ban would normally be expected. However, considering Fuller’s previous good character and the risk of him losing his job if disqualified, the court imposed 10 penalty points on his driving licence.
Fuller was also fined £415, ordered to pay a £166 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. He was warned that further motoring offences could lead to disqualification from driving.