Drunk biker drank vodka bottle after board game was out of stock

Stuart Kirlew, aged 35, has now been banned from driving for three years.

Weymouth Magistrates’ Court heard how Kirlew rode to Sainsbury's in Mercery Road on Saturday, May 1 to get a board game, but was told it wasn’t in stock.

Instead, he bought some Lucozade and a bottle of vodka, which he drank before he rode off on his Honda motorbike.

But while he waited in traffic, he fell and struck a nearby vehicle on Radipole Lane near Five Ways Centre, Weymouth.

Biker explained why he bought the vodka

Outside Sainsbury's, Weymouth

Prosecuting, Siobhan Oxley, said: “After 3pm, police officers came across a road traffic collision involving a motorcycle and car at the junction of Chickerell Road.

“The driver of a vehicle said when a motorbike pulled alongside he had fallen onto his vehicle.

“When the officers spoke to the rider, he confirmed who he was and co-operated with officers.

“His speech was slurred, and officers tried to get him off the road, but he fall back onto the road.

“He wasn’t injured and police officers asked him to provide a roadside specimen.

“He failed it and the officers arrested him and took him to Weymouth custody where they took two breath specimens from him.”

The lowest of the two readings was 150 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

A ‘remorseful’ Kirlew admitted to drink driving during police interview and apologised for his actions. He said it was ‘out of character’ for him.

Ms Oxley said: “He stated he had driven his bike to Sainsbury's to pick up a board game, but it wasn’t in stock.

“He instead got Lucozade and a bottle of vodka. He drank the whole bottle of vodka and then drove off on his motorcycle.”

Kirlew, of Swaffield Gardens, Weymouth, had pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle when over the drink-drive limit during a previous court appearance in late May.

‘Hard working' and ‘polite’ man had fallen on hard times

Radipole Lane, Weymouth. Picture: Google

Mitigating, Lee Christmas, said that Kirlew had endured a difficult year due to losing his job and struggling with the isolation of lockdown.

He said: “He is a man of good character, 35 years old, with a clean driving licence.

“What you will see throughout the probation report is that he is remorseful and you have him taking full responsibility for what he did.

“What you also would have seen is the impact on him. In essence, he has lost everything."

Mr Christmas added Kirlew accepted there were issues around binge drinking and referred himself to Reach Drug and Alcohol Services.

His partner wrote a letter to serve as a character reference, which spoke of how Kirlew was ‘hard working’, ‘polite’ and a ‘loving man’.

She commented how the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions had caused a ‘sharp decrease in his mental health’ and ‘found not working really tough’.

She also noted how Kirlew felt ashamed that he was unable to work and submitted several unsuccessful job applications and knew of the importance of providing for his family.

'You were a significant danger to yourself and others'

Weymouth Magistrates Court

Chair of Magistrates, Robert Ford, told a tearful Kirlew: “Driving with that amount of alcohol that you actually fall off onto a car has to demonstrate that you need every bit of help you can get.

“We urge you to get that help. And that’s what the probation service is there for.

“We do however have to acknowledge that you were a significant danger to yourself and others as you clearly had not an understanding of what was happening but you still rode your bike.

“Strangely we will wish you the best of luck as we don’t want to see you in court and I’m sure you don’t either.”

Kirlew was banned from driving for 36 months and ordered to undertake a six-month alcohol treatment plan. He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 in court costs and £94 victim surcharge.