Teenage son of Yorkshire Rows skipper Janette Benaddi is banned for drink driving

THE SON of one of the Yorkshire women who rowed across the Atlantic last year has been banned for drink driving, after being found over the limit after his work Christmas party.
James Benaddi, 19, leaves York Magistrates' Court with his mother, Janette. Picture: Ross Parry AgencyJames Benaddi, 19, leaves York Magistrates' Court with his mother, Janette. Picture: Ross Parry Agency
James Benaddi, 19, leaves York Magistrates' Court with his mother, Janette. Picture: Ross Parry Agency

Janette Benaddi, 52, was part of the world’s oldest all-female crew to row any ocean after she skippered Yorkshire Rows crew across the Atlantic last year.

But she cut a sad figure yesterday as she heard her 19-year-old son James Benaddi had been found over the limit behind the wheel.

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York Magistrates’ Court heard Benaddi was spotted behind the wheel of his “dirty” VW Polo driving with his hazards lights on.

Benaddi was banned from driving for 18 months after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol as he registered nearly double the legal limit.

Mrs Benaddi, a former clinical research facility boss, will now be forced to take her son to and from his £15,720-a-year college.

Prosecutor Martin Butterworth told the court: “It’s a pretty straightforward case. Police officers found the car driven by the defendant with its hazard lights on and the vehicle looked dirty.

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“Officers went to investigate and could smell intoxication coming from the defendant and gave a positive alcohol reading.”

The court heard the teenager earned £60-a-week from working part-time at the Designer Outlet in York as a retail worker.

He was pulled over by police on Low Ousegate in York City Centre after a Christmas do with workmates from the Designer Outlet at around 12.30am on December 19 last year.

Benaddi was found almost double the drink drive limit after registering 64mcgs of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

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Benaddi of Burn, near Selby, pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle over the prescribed limit of alcohol.

Defending Benaddi, John Howard said: “The defendant is in his second year of studying Alevels at Queen Ethelburga’s College.

“He relies on his car to get to and from college from his home in Burn and the college in York.

“But he will now need to rely on his mother to get him to and from college.”

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Mr Howard added: “The defendant has given an early guilty plea and co-operated with the police throughout.”

Julian Fowell, chairman of the magistrates’ bench, banned Benaddi from the roads for 18 months, but allowed the teenager to take a drink driving awareness course to cut the ban by 18 weeks.

Benaddi was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £30 and court costs of £85.

Mrs Benaddi joined fellow mothers Helen Butters, Frances Davies and Niki Doeg, who became known as Yorkshire Rows, and completed the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

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The four women tackled 30 foot waves, rowing 3,000 nautical miles non-stop in the world’s toughest races crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

They arrived home in Antiga on February 25, 2016 to claim the world record of the oldest all-female crew to cross any ocean after setting off from the Canary Islands on December 20, 2015.

The quartet originally decided in 2012 to take on the task over a glass of wine - and now the story is being tipped for a sliver screen debut.

The four women were given also given ‘Freedom of the District’ at an honorary event held by Selby District Council to hail their achievements.