Former rugby international gets long ban from the road after being triple drink drive limit
A former Wales and British & Irish Lions rugby international has been banned from driving for more than two years after being more than three times over the drink drive limit.
Mike Phillips crashed into a fence in Newbridge-on-Wye and drove off, when confronted by members of the public. Officers monitored his Audi’s movements and caught him at Llanwrtyd Wells at around 6pm on Sunday, July 7.
The 41-year-old former scrum half ,who now lives in Dubai, was unsteady on his feet, smelt of intoxicants, spoke slowly and had dilated pupils before a roadside test proved positive.
Further tests at Brecon Police Station showed he had 108 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes. Phillips, whose full name is William Mike Phillips, pleaded guilty to the offence at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Prosecuting, Mr James Sprunks said police received a call relating to a road traffic collision near the New Inn pub at 6pm involving an Audi A4.
He said members of the public at the scene recognised Phillips and one tried to speak to him when he stopped after crashing into the fence. They also called the police.
Mitigating, Mr Jonathan Webb said Phillips, who gave his dad’s address in St Clear’s, Carmarthen, has a good character with no previous convictions and one caution from 20 years ago.
He described the incident as a ‘substantial error of judgement’.
Mr Webb said Phillips had been undertaking charity work and had pulled together a team for a rugby match before consuming alcohol and underestimated the absorption of it.
“On the Sunday morning he attended another minor event and had some more alcohol not enough, he thought, to put him over the limit.
“He thought he was fine to drive, he clearly wasn’t.
“He did bump the fence, but he didn’t cause any damage. It was very, very minor. He did panic and drove away."
“This has been a salutary lesson for him and will have some ramifications for him today and for a period to come.”
He said Phillips had been an international rugby player for 13 or 14 years, has been married for eight years, has two children and lives in Dubai.
Mr Webb said Phillips now works for a recruitment company and has lots of charity interests including arranging a charity golf day which has raised over £50,000 in three years in Carmarthenshire.
He is also a breast cancer awareness ambassador and gives lots of his time to charity work.
The court was told he was returning to Dubai the next day so would be able to carry out a community order.
Magistrates fined him £1,153 and banned him from driving for 25 months. He was offered the drink drive rehabilitation course. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £461 surcharge.