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3:52pm Sunday 11th May 2008
A TAXI driver from Corsham has appeared in court to admit a charge of drink-driving.
Dean Stokes, 20, from Potley Lane, Corsham, was banned from driving for 18 months and fined £115 at Chippenham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Tessa Hingston told the court how police stopped Stokes in his Vauxhall Vectra in Bath Road, Chippenham, in the early hours of April 18.
He was driving to Corsham from Chippenham, to take his girlfriend home after a night out.
His alcohol reading was 62mg per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
Mr Stokes, who defended himself, had been drinking that evening but after sleeping for three hours he thought the alcohol had worn off and that he was fit to drive.
He opted to attend a drink-driving course, which will reduce his sentence by four months if he completes it within a year.
North Wiltshire District Council confirmed that Stokes was working for Corsham Taxis at the time of his arrest and that his Hackney carriage licence will be revoked, as he no longer holds a valid DVLA driving licence.
Corsham Taxis were unavailable for comment.
Andrew Nicholson showed the lightning reactions that have made the New Zealand Olympian a very hard man to beat at the new Dauntsey British Eventing one day event near Chippenham.
Cricket: Wiltshire have appointed James Hibberd as their captain for the 2009 season. For the past three years, he has been vice-captain to Richard Bedbrook who has stood down as a result of his new appointment as Performance Manager at Surrey County Cricket Club. James plays his club cricket for South Wilts.
Chippenham Town have signed 20-year-old midfielder Aaron Ledgister from Cheltenham Town on a one-month loan deal.
Swindon Town manager Maurice Malpas will play a full strength side in tomorrow’s Johnstone Paint Trophy tie at Hereford United in an effort to bring a positive atmosphere back to the club.
Australian Rules Football: Chippenham Redbacks players Robert Kerr, Lee Tarn and Rob Fielder have been selected to represent England at the 2008 EU Cup in Prague this weekend for Australian Rules Football.
Motorbike racing: Last Saturday saw the final round of the N G Road Racing championship held at Thruxton in Hampshire.
Superbikes: After qualifying in a fantastic second place, any hopes that Tommy Bridewell had of rounding out an eventful season in the Suzuki GSXR750 European Cup in style vanished when he crashed heavily on the third lap of the final round held at Magny Cours in France.
Speedway: The curtain falls on Swindon’s 2008 campaign this coming Sunday, 12 October, starting at 6pm., when a Four-Team Tournament takes centre stage at Blunsdon.
Rugby: Corsham 2nd were no match for a rampant Saddlebacks side who won their third consecutive League game by 52 points to nil.
Motorsport: Westbury’s Shane Marshall took his first outright championship title at the Castle Combe Circuit’s final race meeting of 2008 on Saturday.
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