Driving ban for over .08 driving

In Taber provincial court on Dec. 17, a 24-year-old Vauxhall man pled guilty to driving with a blood-alcohol level exceeding .08 milligrams per cent. Heinrich Schmitt-Neufeld was fined $1,000 and prohibited from driving for one year by Judge D.G. Redman. The accused had originally been scheduled to stand trial for the offence, but changed his plea to guilty.

Crown prosecutor Bruce Ainscough explained the facts of the case to the court. On the night of June 30, officers of the Taber/Vauxhall RCMP detachment while on patrol in Vauxhall observed a vehicle driven by the accused. Schmitt-Neufeld was not wearing a seatbelt, and officers initiated a traffic stop. The accused displayed indications of intoxication, and a breathalyzer device test was demanded. The accused failed, registering a blood-alcohol level of .12 milligrams per cent. Schmitt-Neufeld was charged with the offence.

The accused had no previous record. Schmitt-Neufeld will be eligible for the ignition-interlock device program upon the expiration of three months. Judge Redman also issued a $150 victim-fine surcharge.

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