A TAXI driver has been given a 17-month driving ban after he was caught drink-driving – and has lost his livelihood as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniel Williams, 36, was caught drink-driving on Commercial Street, Maesteg – the street where he lives – after security staff of a nearby pub tipped off police, Cardiff Magistrates Court heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the time the police officers caught up with Williams, he had already pulled into a layby, the court was told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officers noticed Williams\u2019 slurred words and intoxicated smell before he admitted that he had been drinking prior to driving, said prosecutor Sarah Cole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was found to be almost twice the legal drink-drive limit, with 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes. Williams was arrested at 2.58am on January 28 this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Williams, who pleaded guilty to a single drink-drive charge, told the court he was \u201csincerely sorry\u201d and that he \u201cbitterly regrets his actions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am just glad that I did not cause an accident and came to my senses by stopping the car,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although off duty at the time of the incident, the driving ban means that Williams’ job as a taxi-driver was now at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy reckless behaviour means I have now lost my livelihood and my ability to pay for my children,\u201d Williams told the court. \u201cI have no intention of doing the same thing ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magistrate Patricia Blackwell told Williams: \u201cIt is really important that you don\u2019t get behind that wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alongside the ban, Williams was ordered to pay a total of \u00a3253 \u2013 a \u00a3120 fine, \u00a385 court costs and \u00a348 surcharge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018I’ll never do the same thing again,\u2019 Daniel Williams told a court<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":914,"featured_media":35180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1291,875,2660],"coauthors":[8089],"class_list":["post-74366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-cardiff-2","tag-cardiff-magistrates-court","tag-drink-driving"],"yoast_head":"\n