Dean Gaffney, a former Eastenders actor, claimed the stress of looking for work after the pandemic drove him to drink drive because he was living off his savings.
On the evening of April 28, police discovered the former TV star’s Audi A7 parked on the corner of a road in Staines.
Officers said that they could smell alcohol on Gaffney’s breath after approaching the automobile and forced him to take a breath test.
Since the confinement, the 44-year-old actor has been unable to find work and has been living off his savings.
‘It was 11.40pm when police officers on mobile patrol observed an Audi A7 parked on a corner with its lights on and engine running,’ prosecutor Luscy Lumsden told the court, according to The Sun.
‘They approached and the driver’s side window was open. The driver appeared intoxicated, although he said he had not drunk any alcohol.
‘The officers could smell intoxicating liquor on his breath and he failed a roadside breath test. He admitted during police interview he had been driving.’
The presence of a female passenger in the front seat of the car was the only ‘aggravating aspect,’ according to the court.
Gaffney had 46mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, much beyond the legal limit of 35mgc, according to a breath test.
He was given a one-year driving prohibition and a £300 fine, as well as £85 in costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
‘Mr Gaffney is keen to convey how terribly remorseful he is,’ his lawyer, Simon Collingham, told the court.
‘He regrets the offence and is ashamed of his behaviour.
‘From the age of 15 he has worked full-time in the entertainment industry, but like so many others in the profession since the onset of Covid, he has found it hard to find work.
‘He lives off his savings with the full support of his family emotionally. Mr Gaffney was not seen driving, but he admitted to the police he had been driving the vehicle.
‘He should receive full credit for his guilty plea. He does express his remorse sincerely. It was out of character and this is not an individual you will see in court again.’