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A Sudbury man seen drinking beer behind the wheel of a vehicle in the parking lot of a downtown grocery store in early November has been fined $2,000 and lost his driver’s licence for one year.
“As we heard from the Crown attorney, drinking and driving is a very serious crime and it is preventable,” Ontario Court Justice Heather-Ann Mendes said Thursday just before issuing the two penalties to Brian Fitzpatrick.
“It is catastrophic the destruction that drinking and driving brings to families and lives every day. While the 1999 (drunk driving) conviction is a dated offence, I sincerely hope you have learned a lesson.”
Fitzpatrick, 62, had pleaded guilty to having more than the legal allowable level of alcohol in his system within two hours of driving (blowing over).
The Crown and defence lawyer Cedric Bourgeois suggested the penalties.
The court heard that about 6:35 p.m. Nov. 4, witnesses saw Fitzpatrick drinking a beer while seated in the driver’s seat of a 2005 Nissan in the parking lot at 82 Lorne St. – Chris’ Independent Grocer, situated not far from a Beer Store location.