MORE than 80 people have been charged with drink driving in Dorset after getting behind the wheel while over the limit.

They were caught by officers from Dorset Police as part of the force’s crackdown on drink-driving this summer.

Police say 64 men and 23 women were charged with drink driving offences during their summer campaign between June 1 and July 31 this year.

During the campaign police increased traffic patrols and roadside checks and every driver involved in a collision throughout June and July was breath tested.

Several of those convicted of drink driving offences included west Dorset residents.

Speaking about the initiative, Sgt Nikki Burt, inset far right, from Dorset Police’s traffic unit said: “Research has shown that even one drink can impair the ability to drive so please don’t get behind the wheel after drinking any alcohol at all.

“Unfortunately, there are still some drivers in Dorset who are not getting the message that drinking and driving is dangerous and is simply not worth the risk.

“Drink or drug driving will not be tolerated in Dorset and officers will continue to target those motorists who think they are above the law and pose threats to the safety of themselves and other road users by driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs.”

£600 fine

A PORTLAND woman was fined more than £600 after being caught behind the wheel two and a half times over the limit.

Karen Penelope Davies, 58, of Weston Street was flagged down by police on Southwell Road on Portland at 11:15pm on June 20.

A breath test reading came back as 90mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg in 100ml of breath.

A police statement read out at Weymouth Magistrates Court said Davies initially stopped her car for officers but started to drive forward again ‘as if to make off’.

Police had to use their lights and horn before the car stopped further down the road, the court heard.

Davies, who works at Dorset County Hospital, reportedly smelt of alcohol and when asked to take a breathalyser test she said: “You don’t want to do that. I work at the hospital. I’ll be over [the limit], I know I will.”

Davies was disqualified for 23 months and was ordered to pay £685 in fines and costs.

Hazard lights flashing

A DRIVER who got behind the wheel over the limit was spotted by police as she had her hazard lights flashing as she travelled along the A354 from Dorchester to Weymouth.

Shirley Ann Scott, 55, of Rossmore Lodge in Hyde near Wareham, was stopped at 1:45am on June 21.

Weymouth magistrates heard she was driving at 25mph with her hazard lights flashing, and when police pulled her car over they discovered she had a flat tyre.

When tested, she was found to have 59mg alcohol in 100ml breath and in court she admitted to driving over the legal limit.

Scott was ordered to pay £215 in fines and costs and was disqualified from driving for 16 months.

Banned

A DELIVERY driver was banned from driving after getting behind the wheel after drinking.

Matthew John Walker, 29, of Deverel Road, Dorchester, admitted to driving while over the legal limit. He was stopped at 2:05am on June 21 by police after he was seen getting into a car after visiting a pub in Dorchester and driving off.

He was found to have 90mg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath.

Walker was disqualified from driving for 24 months and was ordered to pay £255 in fines and costs.

Disqualified

A WOMAN who reversed in to another car whilst over the limit was disqualified from driving.

Elaine Mulholland, 46, of Oakbury Drive, Weymouth, was banned from driving for 12 months following the incident on June 17.

Police found Mulholland had 74mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than double the legal limit.

In addition to her disqualification Mulholland was ordered to pay £305 in fines and costs.

Guilty plea

JACQUELINE Fell, 56, of The Brambles, Dorchester, pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving without insurance after she was found to have 88mg alcohol in 100ml breath when police stopped her on June 23 in Beaminster.

She was disqualified for 16 months and was ordered to pay a total of £405 in fines and costs.

Intoxicated

A MAN whose breath ‘smelt like alcohol’ when he spoke to police was banned from driving.

Mark Hodge, 49, of Salway Drive, Bridport, admitted to driving while intoxicated and was disqualified for 20 months by magistrates.

The court heard a police officer had noticed Hodge had got out of his vehicle when they were tending to a nearby incident at 4pm on Saturday, July 26 on St. Swithuns Road.

The officer said Hodge’s breath smelt like alcohol and his speech was slurred.

A breathalyser test measured 114mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, over three times the legal limit.

The court heard Hodge had been drinking the night before and at lunchtime that day.

Hodge, a self-employed carpenter, was ordered to attend a drink driving rehabilitation course and to pay £635 in fines and charges.

Failed to provide specimen

A MAN who admitted to drinking ‘too much’ to get behind the wheel was disqualified from driving.

John Richardson, 52, from an address in Taunton, admitted to failing to provide a breath specimen test without reasonable excuse.

Police officers had noticed Mr Richardson walking down St Michael’s Lane in Bridport, towards a car park and was ‘unsteady on his feet’.

The court heard they saw him go towards a vehicle and when they saw it reverse they stopped Richardson.

When asked how much he had had to drink, he said ‘too much’, the court heard.

An initial breathalyser test was taken which showed 105mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

However, when further tests were required at the police station, Mr Richardson did not provide a proper sample and was described as ‘blowing around the mouthpiece.’ The court heard that Richardson has a record of a similar offence from 2006 for driving or attempting to drive but never received a disqualification because the incident occurred on private land.

In mitigation, the court heard Richardson was staying with his daughter who lived 800 yards down the road, and wanted to move his van from the pub car park because he was worried about the safety of his tools inside the vehicle.

Richardson was disqualified from driving for three years and ordered to pay £470 in fines and charges.

'Erratic' driving

A MOTORIST who was reported by a concerned member of the public after she drove ‘erratically’ along the A354 with a child in the car was found to be over the limit.

Natalie Winter, 32, of Wrantage, Taunton, admitted a charge of drink driving.

Police were alerted about a possible drink driver along the A354 at around 6:45pm on Sunday, July 27.

Officers stopped Winter, who was driving with a child in the car, and a breathalyser test showed 57mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

In mitigation, Weymouth magistrates were told Winter had been visiting Weymouth with her husband and children for the day and had consumed alcohol because her husband had agreed to drive.

But, the court was told, the pair had an argument which led to her leaving Weymouth without him and taking the car. Winter was disqualified from driving for 14 months, with the opportunity to reduce the ban by 105 days with the completion of the drink driver’s rehabilitation course by April 20, 2015.

She was fined £230, and ordered to pay £85 to the CPS and £23 victim surcharge.

Failed to stop

A MAN who drove off after an accident which happened when he’d been drinking was banned from getting behind the wheel.

Robert Campbell, 53, of Harveys Close, Dorchester, admitted driving over the legal limit, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

Weymouth magistrates heard that on Saturday, July 26, Campbell reversed a silver Land Rover into a wall at a swimming pool car park in Knightsdale Road.

Winter had a woman and two children in the vehicle with him and was staying at a holiday park in Weymouth.

Police were alerted about the damage caused in the incident and tracked the Land Rover back to the holiday park finding ‘considerable damage’ to the rear bumper.

A breathalyser test found a reading of 74mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

Winter appeared before magistrates without representation, and told them: “I’m sorry it happened. I passed my driving test in 1986 and have never had an accident.

“I just had two cans of beer that afternoon and was drinking the night before.

“I felt safe to drive. I am very, very sorry.”

He was banned for 20 months and fined a total of £500 for the three offences, and ordered to pay £85 to the CPS and £30 victim surcharge.