Drink Driving Charges
Drink Driving Charges
If you are facing drink driving charges and there is a risk you could lose your driving licence, it is essential to speak to expert solicitors for drink driving charges before your case reaches court.
You may have defences available to you that you are not aware of, and, if the police and prosecuting authorities have made mistakes in handling your case, it may be possible to have the charges against you dismissed.
We have been helping clients charged with drink driving for over two decades and have an excellent track record of success.
Please call our experienced solicitors for drink driving charges on 033 00532252 or make a Free Online Enquiry for immediate assistance. All enquiries are completely confidential.
What Are The Charges For Drink Driving?
Charges for drink driving in the UK include:
• Being in charge of a vehicle while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
•Penalties could be up to 3 months in prison, a fine of up to £2,500 or a driving ban
• Driving or attempting to drive while above the legal limit or unfit through drink
• Refusing to provide a specimen of breath, blood or urine for analysis
•Penalties for either of these offences could be up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine or a ban for a minimum of a year or 3 years if convicted twice within 10 years
• Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink
•Penalties could be life imprisonment, an unlimited fine, a minimum driving ban of 5 years and an extended driving test to regain your licence
Defending A Drink Driving Charge
If you ask us to represent you in defending a drink driving charge, we will look at all the circumstances of the event, including:
• The manner in which you were stopped
• Whether the police genuinely had a reasonable suspicion that you were over the drink drive limit
• Whether you have a defence
• Any mitigating circumstances
• Any procedural errors made by the police, laboratories, or the prosecuting authorities
Potential defences to drink driving include:
• Consuming a drink that was spiked
• Consuming alcohol after an accident and before the breath test
• Being on private land and not the public highway
• Necessity, where you had to drive in an emergency
• Duress, if you were threatened or pressured into driving by someone
• Incorrect analysis of your sample, for example, if the equipment was faulty or your sample was not processed correctly
Other issues that could affect your case include the shortness of the distance driven or a lack of intent to drive if you were in the passenger seat or not inside the vehicle.
We will assess your case and discuss exactly what has happened with you, including following the incident. We will then be able to put together a robust strategy for your defence.
Appealing A Drink Driving Charge
If you have been convicted of drink driving and you believe you have grounds for an appeal, speak to us today. There is a short time limit by which to start the appeals process, and it is important to take action as soon as possible.
We may also be able to ask the court to reinstate your licence until the outcome of your appeal.
Grounds for appealing a drink driving charge and conviction include:
• The correct process was not followed in dealing with your case, and legal or procedural errors were made
• New evidence has come to light that was not available before
• Exceptional hardship will be suffered if you are banned from driving, for example, you would not be able to take a sick family member to vital medical appointments
Alternatively, it may be possible to appeal against the sentence imposed if this is unduly harsh and disproportionate to the offence.
Contact Our Drink Driving Solicitors
Our experienced solicitors for drink driving charges obtain exceptional results for our clients, working to have charges dropped and, where this is not possible, putting forward the strongest possible defence.
Call us now on 033 00532252 or make a Free Online Enquiry for immediate assistance. All enquiries are completely confidential.
