'Morning after' Herefordshire driver flipped car after hitting verge

A DRIVER flipped his car after hitting a verge the morning after drinking spirits, a court has heard.

Neil Turnbull entered a guilty plea to one count of driving while over the alcohol limit when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford in February.

Police were called to reports of a single car crash on the B4362 near Presteigne at 9.45am on February 3, prosecutor Eleanor Peart said.

The car, a Hyundai i30, was on its roof, while Turnbull had remained at the scene, the court heard.

An evidential breath test revealed he had 49 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

In police interview, Turnbull told officers he had been drinking spirits the night before and had gone to bed at around 1am.

He had lost control of the car and flipped it on its roof as he drove from Ludlow to Presteigne, the court heard.

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Marilena Di Vitantonio, for Turnbull, said that the 46-year-old had remained on the scene and had fully accepted he had been driving.

"He had gone to see a friend and had some drinks and then spent the night with his parents," Miss Di Vitantonio said.

"He had a drink with his father and then went to bed. He says he got up in the morning and felt fine."

But, the court heard, self-employed tiler and floor fitter Turnbull had hit a verge as he drove, flipping his car on its roof.

Turnbull, of Brookend Street, Ross-on-Wye, was fined £120 and disqualified from driving for 14 months.

He must also pay prosecution costs of £135 and a £48 victim surcharge.

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