A RETIRED head of faculty has been charged with driving over the alcohol limit, Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court have heard.
John Francis Callaghan, 64, of Glan Thames, Talsarn, appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (June 1) to plead guilty to the offence that took place on May 14 at Felinfach.
Prosecutor Tracey Willingham told the court that on May 14 at approximately 8.30am on the A484, PC Rogers was on patrol and saw the defendant’s car parked at a petrol station where he was seen to have purchased 2 bottles of vodka.
The officer followed the car and eventually managed to successfully pull the car at the side of the road. PC Rogers approached the car and while speaking to the defendant, he noticed a strong smell of alcohol coming from within.
The officer carried out a breathalysing test and the results showed that the defendant had in his system, 63 microgrammes of alcohol in a 100 millilitres of breath. The defendant was then arrested and taken to Aberystwyth police station, and was charged at approximately 4pm the following day when he was sober.
Defending, Janem Jones told the court that it is a straightforward case, and the defendant had been compliant to the police.
The defendant was Head of Faculty at a school in Coventry and moved to Aber to care for his elderly mother. He now resides in Talsarn with his partner.
With regards to the case, Jones stated that there were no aggravating features and that the defendant knows it was an unfortunate offence.
Callaghan was given a Band C Fine reduced to £250 due to his early guilty plea. He has also been given a 17 month driving disqualification along with a drinking impairment course, and has been ordered to pay a total of £365 in costs.
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