Motorist loses licence fined for being in ‘care and control of a vehicle’ while impaired

Make text smaller Make text larger

A father who drove to collect his daughter from nursery school while impaired was yesterday fined $800.

Police found 36-year-old Orlando Shannon in his car following a collision on July 12 the bumper had fallen off the car in the accident.

The Pembroke yesterday admitted to having care and control of a vehicle while intoxicated.

Crown counsel Garrett Byrne said police noticed that Shannon smelled of liquor when they approached the car.

His blood alcohol levels were tested and he was found over the legal limit.

Shannon said he was laid off by his employer earlier that day and was frustrated. He said he’d only found the job after searching for months.

“I was just starting to feel like I had something, I didn’t think they’d just up and let me go like that,” he stated.

He said he went to Devonshire’s Mid Atlantic Boat Club for just one beer. “I didn’t think it would end up as this,” he added.

He said he saw an oncoming car and a bike preparing to overtake it, as he left the bar.

Knowing that the bike would hit him if he continued on his path, Shannon said he “swerved to avoid hitting [the motorcyclist]. I didn’t judge how close I was to the wall and ended up hitting it”.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Shannon and suspended his license for 12 months.

Make text smaller Make text larger

Take Our Poll