Horncastle drink-driver '˜only drove because caravan site staff told him he couldn't sleep in his car'

A Horncastle man who admitted driving with excess alcohol had only chosen to drive because security staff at the caravan site where he was staying had told him he could not sleep in the car on the site, a court has heard.
Court news.Court news.
Court news.

Marvin Stallone Lea, 28, of College Close, admitted driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on March 21.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said that police stopped Lea in his Renault car on the A153 at Sleaford Road, Tattershall, in the early hours of January 28.

He was arrested and gave a positive breath test, giving a reading of 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He said Lea had a previous similar conviction in 2011.

Mitigating, Philippa Chatterton said Lea and a party of friends had travelled to Tattershall Lakes where they had a caravan to stay in.

She said they had all walked to a nearby night club but Lea had forgotten his ID and was not allowed in, so he walked back to the caravan park to try and get it - but was unable to get into the caravan as he didn’t have a key.

He then got into his car and fell asleep, only to be woken up by security staff who told him he could not sleep in a car on the site and told him to leave.

Ms Chatterton said: “He drove off the site but then changed his mind and turned round to go back to the site and try and find somewhere to park where the staff wouldn’t see him, and that was when he was stopped by the police.”

She said Lea needed a driving licence for both his regular job and a part-time job he had, so he would now lose both.

Lea was banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay a fine of £120 and costs and charges of £115.