Drink Driver Found Nearly 40 Miles From Home After Police Stop in Gretna

A 19 year old man from Cumbria has been banned from driving after being caught over the legal alcohol limit while attempting to drive home from a work event.
Police were called at around 2.45am on August 9 last year after reports of a suspected intoxicated driver in Gretna. Officers discovered a Skoda Fabia parked partly on the B7076, with the driver showing signs of alcohol consumption.
The driver was identified as Luke Forster, of Somerwood Close, Long Marton near Appleby. He told officers he had attended a work function in Penrith and was attempting to make his way home to the Eden Valley area, placing him nearly 40 miles from his destination.
Due to concerns over his condition, Forster was taken to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle before being formally breath tested. Results showed he had 110 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, significantly above the legal limit of 80.
Forster later appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit. His solicitor told the court that he had not intended to drive but felt stranded with no available transport heading in his direction.
Deputy District Judge Matthew Wallace said the decision to drive while intoxicated posed a serious risk to both the defendant and other road users.
Forster was fined 240 pounds, ordered to pay court costs, and disqualified from driving for 12 months. He was also offered the opportunity to take part in a drink driving rehabilitation course, which could reduce the length of his ban if successfully completed.