Champagne DJ from Chesterfield gets two-year drink-driving ban

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard how Matthew Cooke, 26, of Croft House Way, Bolsover, crashed his Peugeot 308 on the A632 Chesterfield Road between Bolsover and Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “A witnesses was driving along the A632 from Bolsover to Chesterfield and saw a Peugeot blocking the road and attempting a three-point turn.

“She stopped and the driver got out of the vehicle and she asked if he was alright and he came towards her and she could see the vehicle had hit a lamppost and sustained a lot of damage.

“The lamppost had been knocked down and was blocking both sides of the road and he said he had called the police.”

Cooke gave a roadside breath test and was recorded as being more than twice over the legal drink-drive limit, according to the court.

The defendant pleaded guilty to exceeding the drink-drive limit after the incident on November 14.

Cooke told police he had been working as a DJ at a club in Chesterfield and had had a large amount of alcohol including San Miguel beer, Champagne and shots and had eaten but could not remember getting into his car.

Defence solicitor Julie Page said Cooke normally leaves his vehicle and equipment if he can and calls his girlfriend for a lift or gets a taxi and could only put his poor judgement down to alcohol.

She added: “He knows he is fortunate that he only hit a lamppost and he’s intelligent enough to understand he was fortunate not to have hurt himself or anyone else.

“His DJ’ing will have to go without being able to drive but he will be able to come and go to work at a steelworks.

“He has behaved stupidly but from the moment of the impact he behaved responsibly by contacting the police.”

Magistrates sentenced Cooke, on December 3, to a 12 month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work and a 24 month driving ban.

He was also ordered to pay £295 in costs and charges.