Man found guilty of drink driving... as he drove home from night out to celebrate passing his driving test

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A motorist from Surrey has been found guilty of drink driving, after being stopped by police has he cruised home from a night out to celebrate passing his test.

Lee Dawson, 27, was making his way home on 17 June after a night on the town in Brighton, when he was picked up by officers from Sussex Police. Dawson, who was four times over the alcohol limit for driving, smashed his car into two other vehicles whilst waiting at a traffic light just before midnight.

Dawson pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court, and was banned from driving for 30 months, given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, ordered to do 200 hours of community service and told to pay £235 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, of Sussex and Surrey roads policing unit, said: "Taking and passing your driving test can be expensive and insuring your first car is also not cheap.

"But Lee Dawson's recklessness in deciding to drive home drunk meant he has thrown away his licence less than a week after he got it.

"Fortunately neither he nor any of the people in the cars that he hit were seriously hurt but they could have been."