Man caught drink driving in Swaffham had hotel room booked – but decided to drive home

A drink driver who spent an evening at a pub and booked a hotel room decided to get behind the wheel to drive home after staying in the room for a couple of hours.

Jack Prendergast, 28, appeared in Lynn’s Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he admitted to drink driving on the A47 in Swaffham.

Prosecutor Qamar Iqbal said that on July 23, police were called to reports of a car crashing into a hedge.

The airbags had gone off in Prendergast’s Fiat Grand Punto and he was taken into police custody and a breathalyser test was carried out.

Prendergast came back with a reading of 60mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the legal limit to drive being 35mcg.

He appeared unrepresented in court and explained that he went to the pub to celebrate a work colleague's retirement.

“I had a hotel room that night, and I left the pub at 11pm, I went back to the room and fell asleep for a couple of hours, I thought I was then okay to go home,” Prendergast said.

He explained that his mum was home alone that night which was a worry for him.

“I just woke up and thought I was okay to go home,” he added.

Prendergast was banned from driving by magistrates for 17 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £450.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £180 and court costs of £105.