Patrick Willey, 56, was stopped in a quiet residential street after PC Andy Goodhall, who lives nearby, was alerted that Willey had been drinking and saw him attempting to drive towards a main road. When breathalysed, Willey registered 132 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath — nearly four times the legal limit of 35.
He pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates Court and received a 12-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, along with court costs and a victim surcharge.
PC Goodhall said:
“I couldn’t ignore something like this as there are young children who play in the street, and they should be safe to do so. When breathalysed, the reading was one of the highest I have ever arrested for in my 29 years of service.”
Inspector Rob Blunt praised the officer’s actions, saying:
“PC Goodhall’s actions demonstrate that as police officers we’re never really off-duty. Despite living in close proximity to the defendant, he acted without fear or favour and showed the kind of integrity that our officers embody every day.”
South Wales Police reiterated its commitment to tackling drink-driving, which it says remains one of the leading causes of serious collisions in Wales.
