A MOTORIST who sped along Victoria Avenue, swerving across the road, while almost twice the legal alcohol limit, has been banned from driving for 15 months and fined £1,500.
Andrew Stephen Mendonca Vieira (38) was stopped by the police at 4am on 16 March after they received reports of a car being driven “very poorly”, the Magistrate’s Court heard. He gave a breath-test reading of 68 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, almost twice the legal maximum of 35 micrograms.
Advocate Allana Binnie, defending, said Vieira had recently split with a partner and explained: “He was using alcohol as a coping mechanism.” She said he now planned to attend the Silkworth Lodge addiction treatment centre to tackle his alcohol problems.
Vieira must retake his driving test after the ban has elapsed before driving again.
