FIL caught drink driving

[CrazyGoatLady]

FIL (73) drove home from the pub on Christmas Eve, got pulled over for speeding and was over the limit. Said he'd barely had anything to drink, but his brother said he had 6 pints over around 4hrs so he must have been well over. It was about a 5 mile drive home, but on a stretch of A road that often has patrols on it. Fool!

We've had rows over it before and I've said if he ever did it with DC in the car I'd shop him myself. Nobody else was with him on this occasion.

FIL now wants us to help him pay for a good solicitor as he is going to opt for court to try and avoid a ban, as GMIL is very elderly, losing it a bit, and FIL is very involved with her care, he drives over to her house most days. I do not want to give him a penny, as he's been drink driving for years and I hate his attitude, nanny state, they just want your money, I'm a careful driver, it's fine, blah blah. DH is angry with him, but wavering for GMIL's sake.

If DH wants to help I can't stop him, but I don't want him using our joint/family funds to help him weasel his way out, and I feel like he should have thought of his elderly mother before getting in the car after 6 pints. Am I being mean here?

Wasn’t really the point though - PP hadn’t reported to the police, instead of calling 999 where a car could potentially be allocated to stop him or visit him at his home and breathalyse him she filled out an online form for DVLa to consider during office hours

I think you’re right

People always say to check your home insurance but I strongly suspect it does not include cover for criminal cases

even when it does cover cases, the test for cover is very high (i have experience of employment tribunal which is sometimes covered but the reality was only if the panel judged the odds to be 85% + in policy holder favour )

He isn't a full blown alcoholic, but definitely a heavy drinker. He's also very stingy with money, so would rather put people at risk on the road than pay for taxis.

He's not got a hope in hell of DH paying anything to help him now, as DH has been on the phone with him while I was out picking DS1 up from work. DH said he's clearly had a few drinks and says he's going to drive home later, but he'll be fine by then apparently...he won't learn, he'll do it again. DH hung up on him. Stupid man.

Sorry you’re in this position.
But FIL has done this to himself. If he cared about his mother he’d have forgone the 6 pints or got a taxi. He chose this outcome with his own choices.
It’s good he’s been caught: he’s spared you all much more heartache if he’d killed himself or killed someone else with his selfish, thoughtless, careless and arrogant behaviour.

Your husband needs to tell that to the police.

I have my own bank and savings account, as does DH. We also have joint ones. And no, I don't want to pay for other people's fuck ups. I've literally just said to DS1 while I was giving him a lift home from work, when you start driving don't even think about chancing it, as I won't be bailing you out either! We're in Scotland, the limit is even lower here than in England.

He'll get some sort of ban, which could be reduced if he does a drink drive course. He could also get a fine.

https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/resources/common-offences/drink-driving/

If you’re in Scotland you’re probably aware that they can take his car as part of sentencing.

Report this to the police. The fucking idiot needs to be arrested before he kills someone tbh.

Please see my post at 16.29 where I have asked you to ignore this post

Honestly saying he needs to drive to his mother won’t make a difference. I used to work with a single mum who got done for drink driving, she lost her job because of losing her licence. Quite rightly . It makes no difference.

Glad I didn’t need to scroll far to find this post.

Don’t waste your money. There’s no getting out of drink driving. The evidence is there. A ban is compulsory. There’s no grey areas here.

You need to report him to the police, otherwise if he kills someone today you'll have that on your concience forever. If it was up to me he'd recieve a lengthy prison sentence and I'd tell him so. The money would be better spent on paying someone more resposible to care for the Grandmother.

Oh wow, he's an alcoholic for sure. I'm glad your dh has realised what he's like, that's sad for him but good for you both. I'm not sure they'll get there but it's a good idea to call the police and warn them.

Not with drink driving . Possibly once he reached 12 points for speeding etc by pleading exceptional hardship but drink driving is automatic ban

I’m alao glad that your DH has finally seem sense too. What an awful situation for your FIL to put you in.

DH and I live in Scotland, FIL doesn't.

Sorry obviously my comprehension skills are retreating tonight.

It's ok, I don't think I mentioned it 😊I said we were a 4hr drive away but to be fair that could have been north or south!

How does he think he’s going to avoid a ban? He fully deserves it. Don’t give him
a penny.

So lets say that he gets caught again, which he may if there is a marker on his car reg, what then?

There is, as others have said, no way he will avoid a ban. But by doing it again between getting caught once and going to court for that, he is increasing his likelihood of a custodial sentence!

Would at least mean he wouldn't be able to come and visit for a while! 😂

Yeah I guess its a win for you!

But its bloody stupid that he is refusing to see this.

staggering, really staggering that someone caught drink driving 3 days ago is about to do it again.
He really does sound alcohol dependent.
My nephew was killed by a careless (not drunk) driver when he was 26. I can’t understand how anyone can be cavalier behind the wheel of a vehicle.
it sounds like a custodial sentence is what he and everyone within a ten mile radius of him needs.