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Driving ban given to Darren Day Driving ban given to Darren Day
(about 1 hour later)
Actor and singer Darren Day has been banned from driving for 18 months after he admitted being over the drink drive limit when he was stopped in June. Actor Darren Day has been banned from driving for 18 months after he admitted being over the drink drive limit when he was stopped in June.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge at Cardiff Magistrates Court after he was stopped by police in the city centre in early hours of 18 June.The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge at Cardiff Magistrates Court after he was stopped by police in the city centre in early hours of 18 June.
As well as banning Day from driving, District Judge Geraint Watkins also fined him £700. As well the ban Day, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was also fined £700 and told to pay £115 costs.
Day was caught after starring in a musical Hello Dolly. He was caught after starring in the musical, Hello Dolly.
At an earlier court hearing, he had denied being nearly double the legal alcohol limit. Prosecutor David Roberts told the court: "At 1.50am two officers on routine patrol say they observed Mr Day's car travelling at speed in the opposite direction while they stopped at a junction.
A previous court hearing was told officers had attempted to use a breathalyser test at the roadside but it was unable to give a reading, and Day was arrested and later provided a positive sample. I was away on tour and missing my family that night. I know you must hear this a lot but I hardly ever drink Darren Day
The previous hearing heard that Day had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. "They turned their police car round as Mr Day drove though a red light.
"They operated their blue light to bring his vehicle to a halt and they followed him. They indicated him to stop which he did.
"He was unable to provide a breath sample at the roadside and they tried three times.
"But he sucked rather than blowed and was arrested. He later provided a positive sample at the police station."
The court heard Day had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Apology
Day told the court: "I'm a husband and I'm a father and I've never done anything like this before.
"I was away on tour and missing my family that night. I know you must hear this a lot but I hardly ever drink.
"I have never got behind the wheel of a car when I've had too much alcohol. My only intention was to move my car off a yellow line.
"I realise I was endangering people's lives and I'm truly sorry for that."
He asked for leniency from the court.
"I have three children and my wife to support," he said.
"One child lives four hours from where I live and to have no car would make it difficult for me to pick him up on weekends. I can only throw myself on the mercy of the court."
But sentencing him, District Judge Geraint Watkins said: "You were approaching twice the drink-drive limit.
"But I have taken into account the circumstances of the event and your guilty plea. You appear to be genuinely contrite."
The told Day he would have the opportunity to attend a driver rehabilitation course which would reduce the ban to 14 months if successfully completed.
Speaking after the hearing, Day said: "I don't want to talk about it. I'm upset and have nothing more to say."