"I’m guilty as charged. That’s all I want to say"

Wednesday 16 August 2023

A 47-year-old motorist who drove through St. Helier while almost twice the legal alcohol limit has been fined £2,000 and banned from the roads for four years.

Nelio Miguel Quintal Caldeira was seen driving his silver Renault Megane through town in an erratic manner in the early hours of 4 August, the Magistrate’s Court heard this week.

St. Helier Centenier Paul Huelin, prosecuting, said police officers stopped him in David Place just before 03:30 and noticed his eyes were glazed and speech was slow. They asked him to carry out a roadside breath test, which he failed.

A further test at police headquarters showed he had 63 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal maximum is 35 micrograms.

Pictured: The case was heard by Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu.

The court heard that Caldeira had a previous conviction from June 2014, of failing to provide a breath specimen.

He said: "I’m guilty as charged. That’s all I want to say."

Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu said he was imposing a harsh sentence because it was a second offence.

He allowed him to pay the fine at the rate of £100 per week. Caldeira will have to retake the driving test before driving again.