Swaffham fracas led to drink-drive arrest

A disturbance in Swaffham town centre led to a town resident being caught drink-driving.

Ben Christopher Dolby, 30, gave some friends a lift in a Peugeot 307 following the late-afternoon fracas on September 20 last year, Lynn magistrates were told on Monday.

“There was an allegation of some fighting and cars were being caused to stop,” said Jane Walker,

prosecuting.

“The males who had been having the altercation then got into the defendant’s vehicle, which he was driving.”

The court was told that they went to McColl’s newsagent. Police arrived and Dolby failed a breath test and was arrested. A later evidential test gave a reading of 117 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80.

In interview, he said he’d had four pints.

Dolby, of Park Close, pleaded guilty to drink-driving in London Street.

In mitigation, Rob New said members of the public had been disturbed by the behaviour of his

friends who had been drinking heavily. Dolby was there to pick them up. He had been drinking

“much earlier” in the day.

Mr New said that Dolby was likely to lose his job in Lincolnshire as a plasterer as a result of a driving ban.

Dolby was disqualified for 12 months, which can be reduced with successful completion of a drink-driver’s rehabilitation course. He was fined £370 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £37 victim surcharge.