Rev Paul Sanderson from Chorley near Preston was also told to undertake 140 hours of unpaid work, pay £85 in costs and handover an £85 victim surcharge.
District Judge John Maxwell was quoted by the Daily Express as telling the 50-year-old: “No disrespect, but if I see you again, I hope it’s at a wedding.”
Burnley Magistrates Court (pictured) had heard how Rev Sanderson was travelling to one of the churches he was overseeing when he pulled up after realising he had drunk too much.
A female motorist felt the clergyman’s bump into hers in the Co-op store car park in Whalley, prosecutor Sarah Cook said. The drive found police at the scene after she had gone to contact her husband.
Using a breathalyser, 0ffficers discovered Rev Sanderson – a married stepfather of two – to be more than three times above the drink-drive limit.
The former Catholic priest admitted driving with excess alcohol in his system in June last year.
According to the Daily Express, defending lawyer Daniel Frazer told the court Sanderson was “of exemplary character” but had post-traumatic stress disorder and “drank to deal with that situation”.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
… Read More
—
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Premier Christianity News.