Porth Comprehensive School,Rhondda,South Wales -School bus driver was above legal alcohol limit as he took pupils to morning lessons

School bus driver Jeffrey Owen has been banned after he pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol

• 1 FEB 2016
• BY WALES NEWS SERVICE

Jeffrey Owen, 44, was spotted drinking a can of Strongbow and buying more alcohol - before climbing back into a school coach

A school bus driver has been banned after being caught above the legal alcohol limit at the wheel as he took pupils to morning lessons.

Jeffrey Owen, 44, was spotted drinking a can of Strongbow and buying more alcohol - before climbing back into a school coach.

A court heard police were alerted as Owen drove off in the bus onto a busy road to Porth Comprehensive School in the Rhondda .

Police tracked down the bus to Ton Pentre as he carried a group of sixth-formers on board in school uniform.

Taking sixth form students to lessons

Prosecutor Lucy Dowdall said: “At 10.48am a member of the public contacted the police reporting they had seen a male bus driver drinking from a can of Strongbow and entering a shop to buy more alcohol.

“He was then seen getting into a coach and driving out onto an A road.

“Eventually an officer did locate that vehicle. On the bus were a number of school children all wearing school uniform.”

Owen was transporting sixth form students from Porth Comprehensive School to another school in nearby Treorchy for morning lessons.

Pontypridd magistrates court was told that an officer “smelt intoxicants” in the bus driver’s breath when he stepped off the coach.

The court heard that Owen refused to be breathalysed but a urine sample was taken which found Owen had 118 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine - the legal limit is 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.

'Very sorry' for actions

Defence barrister John Griffiths told the court that Owen “was very sorry” for his actions.

He said: “There have been a number of stresses and losses in Mr Owen’s personal life with some bereavements of family members and close friends.

“A combination of these factors have come to the fore and pushed him over the edge on the day.”

Owen, of Graig Wen, Maerdy, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol.

Magistrates gave him an eight-week jail term suspended for 12 months.

Owen was banned from driving for 16 months and ordered to undergo an alcohol rehabilitation course.

see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/school-bus-driver-above-legal-10817104