Once a court imposes a disqualification on a driver, it cannot at the same time endorse the licence with additional points. Judges: Jackson LJ, Mitting, Jay JJ Citations: [2015] EWCA Crim 166, [2015] WLR(D) 58, [2016] 4 WLR 66, [2016] 1 All ER 741, [2015] Crim LR 548, [2015] 2 Cr App R (S) 7, … Continue reading Usaceva, Regina v: CACD 6 Feb 2015
The defendant appealed against his conviction for speeding, saying that the device used to measure his speed was not approved. The only evidence relied on was that the officer said it had been installed in many police vehicles. Held: The magistrates had not been entitled to take judicial notice of such an opinion. Though a … Continue reading Iaciofano v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 15 Jul 2010
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Citations: [1990] 91 Crim App R 108 Statutes: Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 15 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – Director of Public Prosecutions, Regina (on the Application Of) v Chambers Admn 25-Jul-2003 The prosecutor appealed dismissal of charges of driving with excess alcohol. The defendant had admited driving, but said she had … Continue reading Mallard v Director of Public Prosecutions: 1990
Prsoecutor’s appeal against dismissal of charge of driving with excess alcohol. The dfeendant was arrested only some time after he had been driving and after he had consumed further alcohol. Citations: [2007] EWHC 2186 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Road Traffic Act 1988 5(1)(a), Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 15 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Road Traffic … Continue reading Director of Public Prosecutions v Tooze: Admn 24 Jul 2007
The appellant had been convicted of causing death by careless driving with excess alcohol. He said that he had taken alcohol after stopping driving but before being tested. He challenged the weight of the burden of proof ascribed by the statute. The judge had directed the jury that he faced a persuasive burden of establishing … Continue reading Drummond v Regina: CACD 7 Mar 2002
The defendant appealed against his conviction for driving with excess alcohol. Held: There was no requirement that the prosecutor should produce the results of the roadside breath test in evidence, and the breathalyser was of the approved type. The appeal failed. Reliance had been placed on the fact that the guide to type approval relating … Continue reading Breckon v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 22 Aug 2007
The irrebuttable presumption contained in the Act that the level of alcohol contained in the accused’s blood at the time when he was stopped was no less than the level measured later that the police station, was not incompatible with the defendant’s right to a fair trial. It lay ill in the mouth of a … Continue reading Parker v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 7 Dec 2000
Justices had to be careful not to convict of driving with excess alcohol unless they were sure on the basis of scientific and other evidence that the defendant had been over the limit at the time of the alleged offence. Citations: [1987] 3 All ER 733, [1988] QB 170, [1987] Crim LR 776, (1987) 86 … Continue reading Gumbley v Cunningham: 1987
The defendant appealed his conviction for driving with excess alcohol, arguing that the prosecution had failed to provide the roadside breath test figures. Held: The appeal failed, and was indeed hopeless. Pill LJ said: ‘The specimens of breath which established whether or not a defendant has committed an offence under section 5(1) of the 1988 … Continue reading Smith v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 30 Jan 2007
Citations: [1989] RTR 54 Statutes: Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 15 Cited by: Cited – Director of Public Prosecutions, Regina (on the Application Of) v Chambers Admn 25-Jul-2003 The prosecutor appealed dismissal of charges of driving with excess alcohol. The defendant had admited driving, but said she had consumed alcohol in the twenty minutes between … Continue reading Beauchamp Thomson v Director of Public Prosecutions: 1989
The magistrates had upheld a submission of no case to answer. When the prosecutor’s appeal was allowed, the case was remitted back to the Magistrates with a direction for the hearing to continue and precisely because the conclusion was that the defence had not at that stage given any evidence during the course of the … Continue reading Patterson v Charlton: 1986
The court was asked whether a defendant who pleads guilty to an offence of driving with excess alcohol contrary to section 5(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and therefore admits that he was driving ‘over the limit’, can seek a Newton hearing to contest the amount by which the prosecution allege he was over … Continue reading Goldsmith v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 4 Nov 2009
The driver appealed against her conviction for driving with excess alcohol. She said that she had not been given the protection provided under section 9 against being required to provide a specimen whilst under the care of a doctor at hospital.
The Secretary of State appealed a finding that the applicant was a fit and proper person to hold a licence to drive a passenger carrying vehicle, despite his conviction for two offences of indecent assault on a girl under 15, and his name being entered on the sex offenders’ register. Held: There was no provision … Continue reading Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions v Snowdon: Admn 4 Nov 2002
A defendant who had been convicted of manslaughter by using a motor vehicle or causing death by dangerous driving, or dangerous driving, must be required to take an extended driving test before his licence is returned. Courts have no discretion not to require a test. Citations: Times 05-Nov-1998, Gazette 25-Nov-1998, [1998] EWCA Crim 3037 Links: … Continue reading Regina v Lauder: CACD 27 Oct 1998
The defendant had been convicted of other offences at the crown court. Traffic offences were also committed for sentence. The judge imposed a disqualification and penalty points. The section clearly required either a disqualification, or imposition of points. He had erred in doing both, and the penalty points were removed. Citations: [1997] EWCA Crim 1828 … Continue reading Regina v Powell: CACD 14 Jul 1997
The defendant appealed his conviction for dangerous driving. The failure of the police to serve him with a notice of intended prosecution invalidated the conviction. The police replied that there was no need for such a notice because there had been an accident. The driver had been stopped but had then driven off. A police … Continue reading Currie, Regina v: CACD 26 Apr 2007
The court rejected the defendant’s argument that the prosecutor should have put in evidence the results of the roadside breath test. Mitting J referred to the case of Badkin: ‘But nothing in the judgment of Glidewell LJ leads to the conclusion that in every case the prosecution must obtain from the manufacturers an analysis of … Continue reading Murphy v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 20 Jun 2006
The magistrates stated a case where the police officer requiring a breath speciment, had not allowed a wait of 20 minutes where the defendant had recently eaten a ‘tic-tac’, contrary to the procedure. Judges: Kennedy LJ, Crane J Citations: [2005] EWHC 1533 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Road Traffic Act 1988 7(6), Road Traffic Offenders Act … Continue reading Director of Public Prosecutions v Coulter: Admn 29 Jun 2005
The two appellant drivers had been sent forms requiring them to identify the drivers of vehicles identified by speed cameras. They had replied providing the requested information, but the forms were unsigned. They resisted use of the forms as evidence against them. Held: The forms could not be used as evidence against the defendants on … Continue reading Mawdesley and Yorke v Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary and Another: Admn 31 Jul 2003
A driver was arrested for driving with excess alcohol. At the police station, he was to be tested with the Lion Intoximeter. The officer tested the machine and it calibrated correctly. This was at about a quarter after midnight; the sergeant’s watch said 00.13 am, but the time display on the machine read 23:00. Part … Continue reading Director of Public Prosecutions v McKeown and Jones: HL 20 Feb 1997
The Time limit for commencing a prosecution doesn’t begin to run until a person authorised to prosecute is told of the circumstances. A traffic examiner, not authorised to take a decision to prosecute could not be the ‘prosecutor’ under section 6 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. Citations: Gazette 15-Jan-1997, Times 11-Dec-1996, [1996] EWHC … Continue reading Wayne Swan v Vehicle Inspectorate: Admn 11 Nov 1996
The defendant, a road traffic camera campaigner appealed against his conviction for contravening a red light traffic signal, saying that the camera was not approved. Held: The appeal failed. A ‘prescribed device’ was a ‘device of a description specified in an order made by the secretary of state’. The camera had been so specified in … Continue reading Robbie the Pict v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 26 Apr 2009
Four drivers said that the use of approved speed cameras for evidential purposes was unlawful. They argued that the cameras used were not ‘of a description specified’ under an Order. Held: The appeals failed. The different speed trap mechanisms were lawful and specified wihin the regulations. The court discussed the stages involved in the designation … Continue reading Brotherston and Others v The Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 3 Feb 2012
The defendant appealed by case stated against his conviction for driving with excess alcohol, saying that the collection of a sample of urine had not been in accordance with the requirements of section 7. He had had the samples taken whilst in hospital from a catheter bag. He said there had not been two samples. … Continue reading Ryder v Crown Prosecution Service: Admn 14 Apr 2011
