Drink driver crashed into neighbour's house at 6am after 'self-medicating' with alcohol

Gary Kay, a taxi driver, was leaving his home at Eastcliffe, Berwick on February 10 when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed through roadworks and into the front door of a neighbouring property.

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to drink driving when he appeared at Berwick Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor James Long, outlining the case, said: “The defendant crashed the vehicle through a roadworks safety barrier and struck a house close to where he lives.

“PC Angus arrived at the scene and saw the defendant coming out of a nearby house. She spoke to him and identified him as the driver of the vehicle. He said his brakes had failed.

“He failed a roadside breath test and was arrested and taken to Middle Engine Lane police station where he gave a positive breath test of 73mg/100ml breath.”

The legal limit is 35mg.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant had been suffering from depression and was self-medicating with alcohol. He had drunk whisky and coke to help him get to sleep during the night.

Ian O’Rourke, in defence, said: “This is a man who has now lost his employment. It’s devastated him.”

Magistrates called for probation reports and heard the accident happened after the defendant got his foot trapped on the brake pedal.

He was banned from driving for 20 months, ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work and pay court costs of £175.