An Isle of Wight father, who crashed his BMW and flipped it onto its roof while driving his children home, was more than twice over the drink-drive limit, a court has heard.

Dolan Mabey, of Swanmore Road, Ryde, attended the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 26, for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to drink driving.

Liz Miller, prosecuting, said the 49-year-old was taking his children from Newport to their home in Ryde in his BMW 3-series on October 21, 2023.

Ms Miller said Mabey clipped the verge on Combley Road in Havenstreet, which sent the car across the road on an S-bend before flipping onto its roof.

Police arrived at the scene and said Mabey was ‘slurring his words’ and smelled ‘of liqueur’.
A blood test came back positive for alcohol, indicating he had 203mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood when the legal limit was 80.

Mabey was taken to hospital, alongside his teenage children, said the prosecution.

Barry Arnett, defending, said his client is fully remorseful, describing the decision to drive his children home as a ‘grave error’.

Mr Arnett told the court Mabey, a mechanic, has since switched to a job which does not require him to hold a licence and has significantly reduced his alcohol consumption.

The defence said: “He will have to live with this grave error of judgement forever.”

Magistrates described the incident as ‘reckless’, handing Mabey a 22-month driving ban.

Maybe was also made subject to a 12-month community order to include 180 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay a £114 surcharge and £85 in costs.