Judge Must be Judged After Drink-Drive Debacle

A former judge stopped by police for driving erratically was found with half a bottle of vodka and an empty can of red bull in his car. He told police that he had not been drinking but, after being breathalysed was found to be almost 3 times the legal drink-drive limit.

Today, Bruce Macmillan, 63, pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving.

According to The Guardian, at the time of the incident, which occurred on August 27^th this year, Mr Macmillan was still operating as a circuit judge but following the incident resigned earlier this month to avoid the embarrassment of being dishonourably disrobed.

Due to his lofty position, which often involved passing sentence over some of Merseyside’s most violent criminals at Liverpool Crown Court, Mr Macmillan would be keenly aware of his responsibilities as a citizen and would have been well aware of the possible consequences of drink driving and the risk his actions caused to other road users.

Driving when under the influence of drink is covered by sections 4 and 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Section 4 states that a person driving a vehicle when unfit to do so through drink or drugs will be guilty of an offence. In conjunction with this, section 5 details that if a person drives or attempts to drive a vehicle on a road or public place where the proportion of alcohol in his breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit, he will be guilty of an offence.

He is due to hear his sentence on 12th November.