'May lose his job" - Railway worker in South Tyneside caught drink-driving on way back from KFC
A railway worker faces job loss after being caught drink-driving on his way from KFC in South Tyneside.
A South Tyneside railway worker’s job may be on the line after he was caught driving drunk after going for a chicken dinner.
Phillip Carlton, 46, took a night off to join pals in boozing while watching England’s World Cup last 16 game against Norway on Saturday, July 11, a court heard.
Carlton, of Wharton Street, near South Shields town hall, sank up to five pints and then drove his Audi to a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet.
The railway technician was pulled over by police in Ladysmith Street, yards from his home, and he gave a breath test reading of almost three times the limit.
At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to a drink drive charge and was banned from the roads for 18 months.
The single dad-of-two was also hit heavily in the pocket through a £833 fine, a £333 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
His financial hit would have been less but for his solicitor successfully arguing that he avoid being given unpaid work.
Peter Thubron, defending, said such a move would likely put him further in his employer’s bad books by limiting his shift availability.
Prosecutor Yetunde Alake said: “Police saw the defendant driving an Audi motor in South Shields.
“He was arrested and initially failed to provide and was taken into custody but did take the CAMIC breath test.”
Carlton, who has seven previous convictions from 10 offences, the last in 2015, gave a reading in breath for alcohol of 99mcg. The legal limit is 35mcg.
In a report to the court, the Probation Service said Carlton had skipped his usual Saturday night work shift to watch the game.
It said he met football teammates and swapped his normal soft drink for alcohol, downing four or five pints.
The report’s author said Carlton needs to be able to drive for work and is “a little concerned he may lose his job”.
Peter Thubron, defending, said: “His employer will not be best pleased about this.
“If he can’t do the nightshift, it may be a black mark. Unpaid work may cause him more damage.
“He was on the way home from work, it was the England versus Norway match.
“He stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken, that was all that he did but he had been drinking.
“He got to the fried chicken place but didn’t realise that he was going to be over the limit.”
Sentencing him, District Judge Zoe Passfield said she had taken into account that imposing unpaid work may have a negative impact with Carlton’s employer.
As a trade-off, she said she had increased his financial penalty.