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Drunk driver who fled island for months jailed

Drunk driver who fled island for months jailed

Friday 05 April 2024

Drunk driver who fled island for months jailed

Friday 05 April 2024


A 33-year-old man who drove drunk, resisted arrest and failed to appear in court has been sent to Les Nicolles for 15 weeks.

Maximillian James Church Wild failed to stop after police signaled him while driving around St Julians Avenue and Cambridge Park in the early hours of 14 June 2022.

Prosecuting Advocate Phoebe Cobb told the Magistrate’s Court police observed him driving recklessly and he ignored the siren and blue lights, before driving the wrong way down a one-way street.  

He later stopped and admitted he had drunk “a few beers” but declined to provide a roadside breath test. Wild was taken to the station where he struggled with officers and thrashed his arms around despite being sprayed. 

He later blew 88mcg per 100ml of breath and was charged. He failed to appear at court on 4 July 2022 and a warrant for his arrest was issued.  

Wild was arrested months later after returning to the island via ferry and he pleaded guilty to three charges on 19 March 2024 before being remanded in custody. 

His Advocate, Helena Lavin, said her client fully accepted his guilt and apologised for the debacle towards the officers and the court.  

She added that he has been reflecting on his alcohol use which he had reduced recently. 

Judge Marc Davies said the only reason his drinking had reduced was because he had been in prison, and said the case was exacerbated as Wild had a history with drink driving. 

He said Wild showed a “willful disregard for this court” after being “on the run for nearly a year”. 

Judge Davies sentenced him to six weeks for driving under the influence, one week for resisting arrest, and eight weeks for breaching bail to run from when he was first taken into custody. 

He also planned to disqualify him from driving with no set end date, but after the prosecution raised concerns about this, since Wild could be back on the roads after re-taking his driving test later this year, Judge Davies revised this to a three-year ban. 

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