Just a couple of points of order:
“I stand by my guess of a sentence of around 32 weeks (which would actually mean 16 weeks of being 'banged up').”
If he is being sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court, ‘chico, the maximum they can impose is six months. For an early guilty plea this must be reduced by a third so four months is the maximum (half that being served inside). However, since this is an “either way” offence, when they outlined their sentence at the original hearing (before probation reports were prepared) they must state whether they had ruled out sending the matter to Crown Court for sentence. If so, they are constrained as above. If they left CC open as an option they could impose their maximum of six months and make their allowance for the guilty plea by saying they would have sent the matter to Crown Court but for the guilty plea. It is a practice not much liked my many Magistrates’ Legal Advisors, but it can be done.
“He was convicted of drink driving in May ( second offence after only having his license back 3 months ) got a 12 month suspended sentence, 5 year ban, probation & a fine.”
I assume you mean a prison sentence suspended for 12 months. The maximum sentence for excess alcohol is six months. And on that same matter:
“(i) the court will decide not to trigger the custodial offence for drink driving (as the more recent offences are unrelated, other than through the effects of alcohol)”
I would disagree. Magistrates have guidance (which has been reinforced in the last few months) that suspended sentences should be activated unless, in all the circumstances, it is manifestly unjust to do so. There is no requirement for the offences to be related and in fact when suspended sentences are handed down the defendant is warned that ANY offence (certainly any that can attract custody) committed in the suspension period will almost certainly see the suspended sentence activated. The difficulty the court will face is that if they do activate the suspended sentence, whatever its length will count towards their six month maximum. Unless two or more "either way" offences are involved (and they are not here) they cannot impose consecutive sentences which exceed six months.