A POWYS man has been fined nearly £700 and banned from the roads for a year after admitting drink driving.

Ashley James Jones had admitted the charge in November but his case had been adjourned so he could argue special reasons as to why he was driving.

Jones, 26, was driving a Volkswagen Golf on an unclassified road near his home in Llanddewi, near Llandrindod Wells, on October 19, 2023.

He had 50 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

At Llandrindod Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 3, Jones, of Cwmquarry, Llanddewi, Jones was fined £400 for the offence. He was also told to pay a £160 surcharge and £135 costs.

Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course.

https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24028850.powys-drink-driver-fined-loses-licence-year/

On 10/01/2024 05:01 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> A POWYS man has been fined nearly £700 and banned from the roads for a year after admitting drink driving.
> Ashley James Jones had admitted the charge in November but his case had been adjourned so he could argue special reasons as to why he was driving.
> Jones, 26, was driving a Volkswagen Golf on an unclassified road near his home in Llanddewi, near Llandrindod Wells, on October 19, 2023.
> He had 50 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.
> At Llandrindod Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 3, Jones, of Cwmquarry, Llanddewi, Jones was fined £400 for the offence. He was also told to pay a £160 surcharge and £135 costs.
> Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course.

> https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24028850.powys-drink-driver-fined-loses-licence-year/

It comes as a genuine surprise that the disqualification might
eventually be reduced to nine months. I was under the impression that a
minimum of twelve months was mandatory for a breathalyser-detected offence.

Perhaps it will result from any "special reasons" adduced by the driver.

But who (if anyone of any importance) was riding the chav-bike?

On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 5:02:03 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> A POWYS man has been fined nearly £700 and banned from the roads for a year after admitting drink driving.
>
> Ashley James Jones had admitted the charge in November but his case had been adjourned so he could argue special reasons as to why he was driving.
>
> Jones, 26, was driving a Volkswagen Golf on an unclassified road near his home in Llanddewi, near Llandrindod Wells, on October 19, 2023.
>
> He had 50 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.
>
> At Llandrindod Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 3, Jones, of Cwmquarry, Llanddewi, Jones was fined £400 for the offence. He was also told to pay a £160 surcharge and £135 costs.
>
> Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course.
>
> https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24028850.powys-drink-driver-fined-loses-licence-year/

Anyone know what these "special reasons" for drunk driving were?
Nope? No surprise there then.

On 11/01/2024 12:00 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> On Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 5:02:03 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:

>> A POWYS man has been fined nearly £700 and banned from the roads for a year after admitting drink driving.
>> Ashley James Jones had admitted the charge in November but his case had been adjourned so he could argue special reasons as to why he was driving.
>> Jones, 26, was driving a Volkswagen Golf on an unclassified road near his home in Llanddewi, near Llandrindod Wells, on October 19, 2023.
>> He had 50 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.
>> At Llandrindod Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 3, Jones, of Cwmquarry, Llanddewi, Jones was fined £400 for the offence. He was also told to pay a £160 surcharge and £135 costs.
>> Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course.
>> https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/24028850.powys-drink-driver-fined-loses-licence-year/

> Anyone know what these "special reasons" for drunk driving were?

I know the wort of thing they CAN be, but you, M'Lud, will be more aware
then I of what might constitute "special reasons" and the circumstances
in which they might extenuate the offence to some degree. The fact that
the defendant may still be able to get his ban down from 12 months to 9
months does suggest that something unusual happened in court, even
though not reported by the County Times, n'est-ce-pas?

> Nope? No surprise there then.

50/35 is hardly "drunk".

It might make a 14-yr-old girl visibly impaired, but even *you* would
still be relatively high functioning after a mere three pints of lager,
whether drunk in a pub, in a lounge armchair or in a hole in a garage floor.

But, OTOH, it is a breathalyser fail. A fail on the breath or blood test
does not require the person tested to be what any sensible person would
call "drunk".

QUOTE: Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course. ENDS

Must be a quirk in the devolved Welsh law, as it is a MINIMUM one year ban in England.

On 11/01/2024 06:28 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course. ENDS
>
> Must be a quirk in the devolved Welsh law, as it is a MINIMUM one year ban in England.

I'd already said that, M'Lud.

On Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 6:28:36 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Magistrates banned him from driving for 12 months but he can reduce this by three months if he successfully completes a drink driving rehabilitation course. ENDS
>
> Must be a quirk in the devolved Welsh law, as it is a MINIMUM one year ban in England.

QUOTE:

You can take a rehabilitation course to reduce your driving ban if:

you’re found guilty of a drink-drive offence
your ban is for 12 months or more

The course can reduce:

your driving ban by up to 25%
your insurance premium
the likelihood of reoffending

You will only be offered the chance to take the course on the day you are sentenced. If you are not offered the course, you should ask for it.

The course:

costs between £150 and £250 depending on the provider
will usually take place on 3 separate days over a period of at least 14 days
will help you understand the impact alcohol has on driving

The courts are able to offer you the option of a course for a second offence but are unlikely to offer it for a third.

You can change the course provider after you have told the court which one you want to use. ENDS

https://www.gov.wales/drink-drive-rehabilitation-courses