Vicar's affair caused son's downfall

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Vicar's affair caused son's downfall

 

PUBLICITY surrounding a former Ipswich vicar's illicit affair triggeredhis son to descend into alcohol abuse and drink-drive twice in thespace of two weeks, a court has heard.

South East SuffolkMagistrates' Court heard that 20-year-old Thomas White's alcohol abuse"escalated" as a result of media reports concerning his father KeithWhite's resignation from the clergy in the wake of claims he had anaffair.

The Rev Keith White, vicar of St John the Baptist Churchin Cauldwell Hall Road and the Rev Lynne Thorpe, an ordained ministerwho works in the parish, shocked the congregation when theymysteriously stepped down from their posts last September.

ThomasWhite of Sleaford Close, Ipswich was caught drink driving on January 12and despite appearing before magistrates and being handed an interimdriving disqualification he again took to the road while drunk onJanuary 27.

Gareth Davies, prosecuting, said White was stoppedin the early hours of January 12 after driving a Ford Ka he tookwithout the owner's consent and driving it into a Ford Mondeo in Princeof Wales Drive, Maidenhall.

The pair then gained access to a Volkswagen people carrier and stole paperwork.

White was arrested by police who arrived after he had climbed back behind the wheel of the Ford Ka.

A test recorded 76 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcg.

MrDavies said White was again arrested on suspicion of drink drivingafter crashing his Peugeot into a Citroen Picasso in Robeck Road,Greenwich, on January 27 and 88cgs of alcohol was recorded in hisbreath.

Mr Davies said: "On the way to the police station he(White) said 'I've been really stupid. I should have just killed myself- it would have been easier'."

Diane Infanti, mitigating, saidWhite was seeking help for his excessive drinking and recognised hisalcohol abuse had "escalated" due to recent traumatic family events.She said he had been sacked from his position at Axa following adisciplinary hearing.

White pleaded guilty to a total of sevenoffences including drink-driving, driving while disqualified, taking avehicle without consent, driving while uninsured and theft from avehicle.

District Judge David Cooper sentenced White to a20-week term in a young offender's institute, suspended for one yearbut told him he "richly deserved to go to prison."

He wasordered to do 200 hours unpaid work, was disqualified from driving forthree years and ordered to pay a total of £400 in compensation and £100in costs.

Judge Cooper said: "You have shown gross disregard for the safety and property of others not to mention your own safety.

"Your family have enough problems not of your own making."