Can't find in any of the reports that the driver was charged with driving whilst over the limit.   It appears he was only charged with dangerous driving.

creaky, see below from the article.

A drunken driver who crashed his car at 100mph has avoided jail after telling a court he was ‘sleep driving’.

David Hamnett, 47, had been drinking whisky and wine before getting behind the wheel of his Volvo S40 while, he claimed, he was still asleep.

He travelled 150 miles at up to 100mph before rear-ending another vehicle and slamming into a motorway’s central barrier.

The marine engineer was cut free from the wreckage wearing a  T-shirt and jogging bottoms with bare feet. He was found to be almost twice the drink-drive limit.

Very worrying that someone could drive that far whilst sleeping... Not only could he have killed himself but others as well. I hope he has to visit his GP for referral somewhere to get it sorted out before he kills someone, dreadful really. I suppose the court could only apply the law as it stands on his particular case.

As for the tree, reading the article it emphasised the wealth of the man, based on the judges comments, rather than the seriousness of removing a protected tree. TPO's are there for a reason and developers know this. He's not a developer, just someone "developing" a site to maximise its return, probably for his pension... 

Our local council didn't even impose a fine when a local farmer demolished his Grade 2 Listed house. :_|