Fine, probation for man who drove drunk through yards

A Revelstoke man who crashed his car through several fences while driving drunk pleaded guilty in court last week.

Curtis E. McPherson was given a $1,500 fine, a one year driving prohibition and one year probation for the incident that took place Friday, Aug. 15, at around 10 p.m.

Crown prosecutor Angela Ross told the court that McPherson was found passed out at the wheel of his truck after he drove it through two yards on Humbert Street, damaging fences in the process.

Neighbours woke him up and RCMP and BC ambulance were called. When RCMP attended to McPherson, he was visibly drunk. He was arrested and taken to the detachment, where he gave two breath samples of more than 0.19 almost 2.5 times the legal limit.

McPherson told the court he drank six strong beers at a friend's house when he decided to head home earlier than planned.

"It was a screwed up decision I made because of the booze," he said. "The drinking, it doesn't help the decision making at all."

Judge Mayland McKimm said the Crown was being "more than generous" with their sentence offer of only a fine and driving prohibition.

"If there had been someone on the sidewalk when you went careening across it, you'd be going to a federal penitentiary," he told McPherson. "This is not rolling through a stop sign. This is a very serious incident."

Still, he agreed with the Crown's recommended sentence, but added a period of probation that includes mandatory counselling. "The purpose of the probation is entirely to help you," McKimm said.

A Kelowna man was given an absolute discharge when he was able to produce a doctor's note saying he was eligible for medical marijuana.

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Fine, probation for man who drove drunk through yards