ABA heavyweight champ four times over the limit...
Posted: 05 Aug 2004, 10:32
Former ABA heavyweight champion Mick O'Connell has narrowly avoided jail after he was caught driving whilst nearly four times over the drink-drive limit.
The Royal Marine must now wait to learn whether his military career will be affected after admitting his second drink-driving offence.
The 30-year-old was crowned ABA heavyweight champion last year - but lost in this year's final to Liverpool's Tony Bellew.
He's also represented England several times.
After a night out drinking and clubbing last month, he was caught driving into his own commando base at Lympstone in Devon at 2.45am by a Ministry of Defence guard.
His breath test reading was 129 - the legal limit is 35.
He had a previous drink drive conviction for which he received a three-year ban.
The Exeter court banned him yesterday for five years, fined him £500 plus £43 costs, and imposed a one-year community rehabilitation order, including participation in a drink-impaired drivers programme.
The JP told him: "I cannot stress the awfulness of your driving: three-and-a-half times over the limit!
"You are all too aware of the consequences of drink-driving because you have been there before. We were looking at a custodial sentence.
"This is your last warning - you are right on the line."
The Royal Marine must now wait to learn whether his military career will be affected after admitting his second drink-driving offence.
The 30-year-old was crowned ABA heavyweight champion last year - but lost in this year's final to Liverpool's Tony Bellew.
He's also represented England several times.
After a night out drinking and clubbing last month, he was caught driving into his own commando base at Lympstone in Devon at 2.45am by a Ministry of Defence guard.
His breath test reading was 129 - the legal limit is 35.
He had a previous drink drive conviction for which he received a three-year ban.
The Exeter court banned him yesterday for five years, fined him £500 plus £43 costs, and imposed a one-year community rehabilitation order, including participation in a drink-impaired drivers programme.
The JP told him: "I cannot stress the awfulness of your driving: three-and-a-half times over the limit!
"You are all too aware of the consequences of drink-driving because you have been there before. We were looking at a custodial sentence.
"This is your last warning - you are right on the line."
