A WHISKY-slurping drink driver who crashed into another motorist and shunted her into a fence vented his anger at her because he believed she was speeding.

Shaun Peoples was close to twice the drink drive limit when he crashed into another driver in Upton - but said the motorist he hit was also to blame and he had been trying to pull out of the junction with care.

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The 54-year-old of Ryall Meadow, Upton, admitted driving with excess alcohol after he crashed his Mini into the car on the A4104 in Upton on January 31.

Malvern Gazette:

GUILTY: Shaun Peoples said the woman in the other car was also to blame.

 

A specimen of breath later revealed Peoples had 68mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, close to twice the limit of 35mcg.

Eleanor Peart, prosecuting, said police were called to reports of a road traffic accident involving the defendant and another driver.

Miss Peart said: "The driver involved said the defendant had failed to stop at the junction and had struck her passenger side, causing her to spin out into a wire fence.

"She also describes the defendant's demeanour - that he was angry and shouting at her."

Peoples failed a roadside breath test and was arrested. He accepted he had drunk 'a couple of glasses of whisky' that afternoon at around 2pm to 2.30pm.

Peoples, who had no previous convictions, represented himself at the hearing. He said: "I went to the junction to pull out - it's an awful junction anyway. You do have to nose a bit forward. It's a blind corner."

He accepted he 'did not see her' but said he had 'crept across the road, only doing a couple of miles an hour'.

"All of a sudden - she hit me" he said. He added: "I'm not an irrational, angry type of person. It's not my nature" he said.

Peoples said the other driver kept saying she was 'shocked'. "I was very shocked myself" he said. Peoples said he asked her: "Did she realise it was a 30mph limit? I would say - in my defence - she wasn't doing the speed limit."

However, he added: "I'm in the wrong because I pulled out."

Peoples explained that he worked in the hospitality industry in Tewkesbury and was starting this Monday full time again with early starts of 5am and had also accepted work in a care home.

He said he would 'struggle to get to Tewkesbury' early in the morning because there was 'no public transport' but said he could use a push bike or electric bike to get there during the summer.

Magistrates banned him from driving for 18 months, fined him £220 and ordered him to pay a contribution towards costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £34.

The drink drivers rehabilitation course was offered. If completed successfully, this will reduce the disqualification by 18 weeks.