Two-time St Ives drink driver gets three-year ban

A ST Ives man who wrote off his Subaru Impreza after losing control of his car while over the drink-drive limit has been banned from driving for three years.

Fraser Pheby was travelling along the A1123 Needingworth bypass to his home in East Street at 2am on November 17 when he lost control at a roundabout and crashed into a lamppost.

Delia Matthews, prosecuting, told Huntingdon magistrates on Thursday that Pheby left the scene and returned home.

Mrs Matthews added that the crash was reported to Cambridgeshire police and officers tracked down Pheby to his home where he initially said his car had been stolen.

Pheby failed a breathalyser test and was taken to Huntingdon police station for an evidential sample where he gave a reading of 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35.

Elaine Havard, defending, said: “He did not intend on drink driving. He walked to the pub and then returned to his friend’s house where an altercation, that didn’t involve the defendant, broke out, and Pheby in fact acted as peacemaker. It became clear that it would not be resolved and my client left to go home, perhaps wrongly, in his car.”

The court heard that the 33-year-old still had a loan outstanding on the car and because he was over the limit, his insurance would not be paying out.

Magistrates were also told that Pheby, who works in Cambridge, was banned in 2006 for drink-driving.

Pheby was disqualified from driving for three years, although he can reduce it by attending a drink-driver rehabilitation course, and fined £250. He was also ordered to pay £70 costs and a £25 victim surcharge.