Devizes funeral director’s drive ban (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Devizes funeral director’s drive ban

11:43am Thursday 6th September 2012 in News

A funeral director from Devizes is banned from driving for 12 months after being convicted of drink-driving.

Philip Charles Winchcombe, 29, of Charles S Winchcombe & Son Ltd funeral directors, based in New Park Street, Devizes, pleaded guilty at Salisbury Magist-rates’ Court on Tuesday. The court heard that Winchcombe was driving his silver Peugeot along the A361 at about 1am on July 8 when he failed to give way to a police car at a roundabout outside the Castle Hotel in New Park Street.

Officers followed Winchcombe and stopped him after he failed to give way at a second roundabout.

Winchcombe, of Kirby Close, gave a borderline reading when he was breathalysed and later took a blood test, which showed a reading of 106 mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, compared to the legal limit of 80mg. David Chapman, defending, said Winchcombe had worked for the family business for ten years. “My client does drive in the course of his work but colleagues can drive in his place,” said Mr Chapman. “Nevertheless this will cause an inconvenience to himself and other members of the firm and inconvenience in other areas of his life as well.”

Winchcombe was banned from driving for 12 months but accepted the chance to complete a drink-driving rehabilitation course which will reduce the ban to nine months.

He was ordered to pay £210 compensation and £100 court costs.