Wife shops husband to police after he drove to pick her up from hospital drunk

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BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 14:  A general view of Birmingham Heartlands Hospital on July 14, 2009 in Birmingham, England.  (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Nicholas Powell arrived to collect his wife from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital while over the drink-drive limit. (Getty)

A wife was forced to call the police on her own husband after he drove to collect her from hospital while over the drink-drive limit.

Nicholas Powell, 62, was staggering when he got to the ward at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, where his wife of 39 years had been staying after undergoing two major operations, a court heard.

The electrician, of Shirley, Solihull, admitted driving a Ford Focus while over the limit. He was fined £50 and banned from driving for two years.

Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard Powell was obviously drunk when he arrived on a ward at Heartlands Hospital at around lunchtime on 15 June.

Prosecutor Richard Purchase said Powell’s wife had undergone two operations and had been recovering at Heartlands for a week.

They went to the car park, where she took the car keys and called the police to report him.

Birmingham, UK - 6 November 2016: Exterior Of The Birmingham Magistrates Court UK
Birmingham Magistrates' Court, pictured, heard Powell was obviously drunk when he arrived on a ward at Heartlands Hospital at around lunchtime on June 15. (Getty)

"The police were called by his wife. He arrived at the hospital over the limit," said Purchase.

He later gave a breath reading of 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The court heard that Powell had previously worked as an electrician but had lost his job.

Speaking after the hearing, Powell said he and his wife were not “getting on any more” but she accompanied him to court and said that the couple planned to “work at” their relationship.

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He said: “My wife was in hospital. I was a bit depressed so I drank too much. I had not expected the phone call to pick her up.

Drinking and driving ,man drinking alcohol and using mobile phone while driving car ,concept drive safely while using a cell phone or drunk alcohol.
Powell gave a breath reading of 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. (Getty)

“I did not have the cash for the taxi and so I stupidly drove and that is it.”

Speaking after the case, Powell said his wife just “reported” him - but he plans to work things out with her.

Read more: Driver arrested by police was so drunk he didn't realise he had lost a tyre

He told Birmingham Live: "We're not getting on anymore. We've been married over 40 years. We've got to work at it."

“I was expecting what has happened. I want to put it behind me. I can't drive for two years and I'll be over 65 then, so I'm never going to work again in my life. So I've just got to accept it.”

Watch: Ford wants drivers to know that driving hungover can be lethal

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