'You must say no' - Chip shop boss 'pressured' by pal into drink driving is handed road ban
A chip shop owner who was caught drink driving has been banned from the road.
Khushmeet Singh, aged 29, was caught driving his Volkswagen Golf on Castle Street, Hadley, Telford, on May 8 this year.
Telford Magistrates Court heard that Singh had been drinking with a friend who missed his last train home.
According to Singh's defence lawyer, he was "pressured" by that friend to drive him home so he was not late for work the next day.
Shortly after midnight, police on patrol pulled Singh over. They suspected he had been drinking so conducted a breath test. It found he had 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35mcg. He was arrested.
Singh, of Westbury Road, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while above the alcohol limit.
The court was told that Singh "holds his hands up" to what he did, and that being disqualified from driving would affect his work life, as he is relied on to drive his family members to the chip shop where they all work together.
Head magistrate Sarah Richards told Singh: "You must learn to say no in situations like this."
Singh was disqualified from driving for 15 months and fined £512. He must also pay prosecution costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £205.
