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Two men caught drink-driving the same van on the same night

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Two men caught drink-driving the same van on the same night

Mark West, left, and Stephen Basnett, right, pictured outside Manchester Magistrates’ Court today were both banned from the road after being convicted of drink driving in the same van during the same incident

Two men were caught drink-driving in the same van on the same night after driving home from the pub after drinking nine pints of lager each. 

Plasterer Mark West, 55, began the journey behind the steering wheel after leaving the Beehive bar in Whitefield, Bury on June 2. 

West was driving his 56-year-old friend Stephen Basnett home when he crashed his Ford Transit van into two parked cars. 

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard following the crash, West was afraid of being sent to jail as he had a previous drink-driving conviction. Basnett, who was having a panic attack in the passenger said asked to take the wheel. 

Basnett was stopped by a police patrol moments later before he could drive off after an eye witness saw the pair swap seats.

Breath tests showed the two men, both from Whitefield, near Bury, Greater Manchester were three times the alcohol limit for driving.

At Manchester magistrates court, father of three West admitted drink driving and was banned from driving for two years and ordered to complete 140 hours unpaid work. Kitchen assistant Basnett admitted attempted drink driving and was also banned from the roads for two years and was ordered to complete 100 hours community service. Both were also fined £170.

The incident occurred on June 2 this year at 11.50pm after the pair had been drinking at the Beehive bar in Whitefield. West lived just 300 yards from the pub but is thought to have offered a lift to Basnett who lived a mile away.

The pair, pictured outside Manchester Magistrates’ Court earlier today, admitted drink driving on the evening of June 2. The court heard West, pictured right, who lives 300 yards from the pub, offered to drive his friend Basnett, who lived a mile away, home

West, right, crashed the van and feared he would be jailed as he had a prior drink-driving conviction, so Basnett, who was having a panic attack, offered to take over. After they swapped seats, police arrived and arrested both men  having been tipped-off by a witness

Martha Dowd prosecuting said: ‘Police were subsequently called to a collision in which a white Transit van had collided with two parked cars. Two men were inside the van and the collision caused extensive damage to the van and some to the stationary cars which were parked.

‘An independent witness saw the two men in the van swap seats and saw an attempt was made to drive the van by the man who had moved into the driver’s seat – Basnett. A road side breath test was done and both men failed. They were taken into custody and another sample was taken.

‘West gave a no comment interview. Basnett said although he’d originally said he was driving at the time of the collision he had done this to try and make it so his friend didn’t get in trouble.’

Basnett, left, had 102mg of alcohol on per 100ml of breath, while West recorded a reading of 107mg of alcohol on his breath. The current limit is 35mg per 100ml

Basnett had 102 micrograms of alcohol per 100 mililitres of breath whilst West recorded 107mg. The legal limit is 35mg. In 2004 West had been banned from driving for a year after ploughing his BMW into a row of four parked cars outside a hotel after collecting his car from the pub.

A probation officer who interviewed West told the court: ‘He fully accepts it was him driving the vehicle at the time of the collision. Mr Basnett was having a panic attack hence the seat swap.

‘They then agreed that because of Mr West’s previous it would be better if Mr Basnett took the blame. Mr West has a number of issues in his personal life. He has lived alone in a private rental since 2011 but he is behind on rent and is in the process of being evicted and doesn’t know where he’ll go now.

‘Finances are a major issue in his life and he’s up to £20,000 in debt through credit cards and the like. He finds that his life is falling deeper and deeper into the pit of debt.

‘The inevitable driving ban that will come from this offence will impact on his ability to work and that is causing him anxiety. His previous convictions are mostly alcohol related and that seems to be a major issue for him. He says he drinks three to four times per week but that can often lead to binges. He has previously never addressed this but wants to do so now and admits it is an issue.

The court heard West had run up debts of some £20,000 in recent years and was facing eviction from his home

A probation officer who interviewed Bassnett said: ‘He remembers little from the event. They both drank eight or nine pints and admits to being heavily intoxicated. He remembers being at the Beehive pub in Bury. They went to another pub and then came back to the Beehive then he only remembers the collision. He doesn’t remember much leading up to the collision.

‘Mr Basnett suffers from anxiety. After the crash the door was jammed and the window was damaged and wasn’t working. This made him very anxious and that was the initial reason for the two swapping seats. He turned the engine on to attempt to get the window down. He feels quite terrible to think about the damage he could’ve done to himself or someone else.

‘He is a kitchen assistant and he’s done this for one year. It’s stable employment. He’s paid £324 a fortnight. He lives alone, drinks on the weekend and knows his limit.’

Bassnett’s lawyer, Abby Henry, added: ‘He is of previous good character. He had a full clean licence before this incident. It was a stupid decision to swap seats. Had he not done this could have been a drunken charge for him but instead he finds himself in a much more serious position. He is genuinely ashamed and remorseful.’

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