Drink-driver who overtook cars and "put people at risk" fined £2.6k

Thursday 09 March 2023

A 52-year-old drink-driver who overtook vehicles and clipped another car's wing mirror as he sped along a road has been handed a £2,600 fine and a ban from getting behind the wheel.

The Magistrate's Court heard this week that Artur Kozieja drove his black Mazda on Grande Route de St Jean on the afternoon of 17 December 2021 while nearly twice the legal alcohol limit.

Outlining the case, Advocate Katie Ridley, prosecuting, said that Police were called and later found Kozieja at his home.

His car was parked outside with damage to the nearside wing mirror.

He failed a roadside breath test but said he had only been drinking after he returned home.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court.

The defendant was taken to police headquarters, where a further breath test gave a reading of 69 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal maximum is 35 micrograms.

A motorist who recorded dash-cam footage of Kozieja told the police: "I was shocked. I had the feeling he was going to kill himself."

Kozieja admitted charges of dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving without a valid licence – as he had not converted his Polish licence to a Jersey equivalent – and failing to report an accident.

Advocate Estelle Burns, defending, asked for her client to be given credit for his guilty pleas.

She suggested a fine, community service order and a driving ban instead of prison, adding: "The damage was minor. He has shown remorse and is embarrassed."

Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris told Kozieja that a dangerous-driving offence could result in a jail sentence, and added: "You put a number of people at risk, including yourself."

But he said he was imposing a non-custodial sentence in view of his early guilty plea and the fact that he had no previous convictions.

Mr Harris sentenced Kozieja to 100 hours of community service, fined him £2,600 and banned him from driving for 30 months, after which he must retake his test. He allowed to pay the fine at the rate of £200 per month.