A life ruined by alcoholism; SECOND ROAD BAN FOR MAN WHO CRASHED OUTSIDE SCHOOL.Byline: By SONIA SHARMA HIS dream was to be a top footballer, but John Walker's life spiralled out of control when drink gripped his life. As a child, Walker thought he could cut it at the top. But he broke his shin and lost the chance to shine. The disappointment led him to start drinking and gradually he became an alcoholic. The death of his mother and aunt only fuelled his woes further. Eventually his problems led him into the dock after he was caught drinkdriving twice. He has now been banned from the roads for three years after he crashed his car outside St Joseph's Primary School in Chirton, North Tyneside North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear in the North East of England. Its seat is at the Town Hall, Wallsend. Created in 1974, the borough lies within the historic county boundaries of Northumberland. . The 54-year-old, who is nearly blind in his left eye, had downed four or five pints before getting behind the wheel of his Rover on June 3. He was on his way to see a doctor about an injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. finger when he careered off the road and crashed into a tree by the school's gates. A breath test revealed he was almost three times over the legal driving limit. At North Tyneside Magistrates' Court magistrates' court In England and Wales, any of the inferior courts with primarily criminal jurisdiction covering a wide range of offenses, from minor traffic violations and public-health nuisances to somewhat more serious crimes, such as petty theft or assault. , Walker, of Beadnell Avenue, North Shields Coordinates: North Shields (or locally just Shields) is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England. It is located eight miles (13 km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne. , pleaded guilty to drinkdriving, driving while disqualified dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. and with no insurance and making a false statement to obtain insurance. In January he was banned from driving for 12 months after an offence of driving with excess alcohol. He later lied about his disqualification dis·qual·i·fi·ca·tion n. 1. The act of disqualifying or the condition of having been disqualified. 2. Something that disqualifies: illness as a disqualification for enlistment in the army. to get an insurance certificate. His solicitor Tony Malia told the court his client was trying to get help for his problems with alcohol and was very remorseful re·morse·ful adj. Marked by or filled with remorse. re·morse  ful·ly adv. about
what happened. He said: "He has turned to drink from time to time
in order to try to cope with disappointment and/or loss.
"When he was younger, he wanted to be a footballer. But he broke his shin. As a result of that lost opportunity he began to drink. Thereafter he has struggled with drink. "Within recent years, after the loss of his mother and aunt, he began to consume alcohol to a substantial degree. That has had a very detrimental effect on him and his wife." On the day of the crash, he went to see a doctor for a finger he had broken after a fall. He wanted to take a taxi but his wife had removed all money from the house to stop him buying any alcohol. He then decided to drive himself. "Fortunately no-one was injured. He realises the outcome could have been different." Magistrates imposed a two-year community order with a supervision requirement and ordered Walker to complete a drink-impaired drivers' programme. They also banned him from driving for three years and asked him to pay pounds 50 court costs court costs n. fees for expenses that the courts pass on to attorneys, who then pass them on to their clients or, in some kinds of cases, to the losing party. . CAPTION(S): BOOZE BATTLES: John Walker; CRASH SITE: St Joseph's |
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