Mansfield man will lose job fitting tags on criminals after drinking in works van

Police saw Paul Berwick's Peugeot Partner van swerving from side to side on Leeming Lane North, just before midnight on September 16, said prosecutor Daniel Pietryka.

A breath test revealed he had 56 microgrammes of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Mark Stocks, mitigating, said Berwick, of previous good character, had a bad day at work and drank one can of strong cider before driving his works van.

"The background to this case is that he hadn't drank for several months because of health issues,” he said.

The court heard Berwick, aged 57, was a field monitoring officer who fits curfew tags to people in the criminal justice system.

"Clearly, drinking on the job is gross misconduct," said Mr Stocks. "A disciplinary hearing is set for next week. Undoubtedly he will lose his job."

He said the defendant was a soldier in the British army for 27 years and did tours of duty in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan as a bomb disposal officer.

Mr Stocks said he has been in touch with his doctor who has referred him to a counsellor with suspected post-traumatic stress disorder.

Berwick, of Pellinore Way, Mansfield, admitted drink driving when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

He was disqualified from driving for 14 months but a rehabilitation could reduce the ban by 25 per cent if he completes it by July next year.

He was fined £328 and ordered to pay a £131 surcharge and £85 costs.