A father-of-two has admitted making a 'stupid mistake' after crashing his car on a Midland motorway while more than twice the legal alcohol limit. Alexis Rhodes collided with a barrier in the fast lane of the M42 between junctions 5 and 5A on April 26.
The 44-year-old, from Ferrars Way in Cambridge, appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, May 26, where he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. Prosecutor Alisha Collins told the court that police received a report of a vehicle hitting the motorway barrier. Officers found Rhodes at the scene as the driver. A roadside breath test was positive, and a subsequent test at the police station gave a reading of 75 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than double the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
The court heard that Rhodes had a previous drink-driving conviction from 2021. The latest offence was aggravated by the fact that it involved a collision. In mitigation, solicitor Mr Khattak said Rhodes receives Universal Credit, cares for his two children aged 13 and 16, and also looks after his father. He expressed remorse, stating: 'I accept what I have done, I am sorry. It was a stupid mistake to make and I will suffer the consequences.'
Rhodes was ordered to pay a total of £253, including a £120 fine, a £48 victim surcharge, and £85 in prosecution costs. He was also disqualified from driving for 40 months.
