Drink-drive shame of Real Radio DJ Wright; Transport bill during ban will cost pounds 10k.

Byline: Tim Lewis 

A BREAKFAST radio DJ has pleaded guilty to drink-driving after being stopped by police on his way to work.

Real Radio's Tony Wright, 44, was disqualified for 12 months and given a pounds 600 fine for the offence.

Wright's Saab convertible was stopped at 5.45am on March 18 near the Coryton roundabout in Cardiff after an off-duty officer told police it may have been speeding.

Cardiff Magistrates' Court was told the officer who pulled Wright over could smell alcohol on his breath and decided to breathalyse him. He gave a positive breath test at the side of the road and was taken to Fairwater Police Station where he provided a blood sample of 94mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

The legal limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

Ian George, in mitigation, told the court Wright "deeply regretted" the incident. Mr George said his client had spent the previous evening at the New Theatre in Cardiff and had drunk alcohol during a meal with friends.

He added: "This offence has caused my client a great deal of embarrassment. If he had realised he was over the legal limit he would never have got in the car. He thought he was fine to drive but clearly the blood sample taken shows he was not."

The court was told Wright carried out a lot of charity work in South Wales and the loss of his licence would seriously affect his ability to do more.

Mr George said the driving ban would cost Wright, who earns pounds 600 a week, about pounds 10,000 a year in transport costs to get to work from his home in Newport and they asked for this to be taken into consideration when imposing a fine.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month ban which could be reduced by three months on completion of a police driving course.

He was also fined pounds 600 and will have to pay court costs of pounds 60 and a victim surcharge of pounds 15.

Wright presents the breakfast show on Real Radio with co-presenter Angela Jay every weekday morning from 6am.

Tony Dowling, station director for Real Radio Wales, said: "We were aware our breakfast presenter, Tony Wright, attended magistrates court in Cardiff regarding a drinkdrive offence. This was a personal matter and one which Real Radio or GMG Radio will not make any direct comment on.

"We would like to make it clear that Real Radio and GMG Radio wholly condemn drink-driving and always encourage responsible and respectful drinking to our employees and freelancers at all times."

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Real Radio DJ Tony Wright has admitted drink-driving after being stopped by police on his way to work