Multiple drink drivers sentenced

Wednesday 08 July 2020

Two drink drivers - who were both around double the legal limit - have been handed fines and disqualifications in Guernsey's Magistrate's Court.

Luis Santos, 36, and Jolanta Dukalska, 43, appeared in court earlier this week with similar charges.

They both entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity and neither had previous convictions. However, Judge Gary Perry told them that isn't uncommon for incidents of this nature.

"In respect of this type of offence, many people who come before this court are of previous good character," he said. "But drink driving is naturally considered by the court to be a very serious offence."

Pictured: The pair were asked to carry out a breath test.

Santos had been stopped by Guernsey Police officers, who noticed his car swerving in the road, just after 01:00 on Sunday 5 July. They could smell alcohol on his breath, arrested him and took him to the station, where he carried out a breath test. The reading came back at 78 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

He claimed he had been at home drinking when he had received a phone call from a distressed family member, who was out in Town. He had wanted to ensure the person got home safely, so had agreed to go and pick them up. The defendant believed he was alright to drive, despite having been drinking.

"He is devastated that he's found himself in this position today," said Defence Advocate Phoebe Cobb, who represented both of the drink drivers.

She described Santos as a "family man" and a "hardworking member of our community", but said there was a "strong possibility" that he will lose his job as a driver for a cleaning company following his court appearance.

Pictured: Both defendants were stopped in their cars by police officers.

He was given a £750 fine as an alternative to 37 days in prison and has been disqualified from driving locally for three years.

Meanwhile, Dukalska had been caught drink driving on the morning of 12 June.

She had driven to the Coop En Route in St Andrews at around 10:00, to get some shopping for other people as part of her job. Whilst there, a member of the public suspected she had been drinking and called the police.

Officers eventually tracked down her car along Queen's Road and noticed the faint smell of alcohol. The defendant said she had been drinking the night before, but believed she was alright to be driving.

After being arrested, she was asked to cooperate with a blood test due to a fault with the breath test machine. The result was the equivalent of 63 micrograms in 100ml of breath.

She was sentenced to a two-year driving disqualification, as well as a £625 fine.

Pictured top: The pair were sentenced in Guernsey's Magistrate's Court.