A disqualified drink-driver was caught over the limit for a third time as he watched The Simpsons while driving towards Suffolk Constabulary’s Martlesham HQ.
Roman Matejicek is behind bars today after blaming his partner’s mother for leaving the iconic cartoon series playing on a tablet attached to his car’s dashboard.
The 28-year-old, of Hotson Road, Southwold, was twice the legal alcohol limit and less than a mile from police headquarters when he nearly ran into the back of another car in Kesgrave as police tried to stop him.
Prosecutor Wayne Ablett told South East Suffolk Magistrates Court two officers were travelling in their vehicle on the A1214 at around 6.40pm on Saturday when they saw Matejicek driving in the opposite direction.
A check on his Hyundai discovered its MoT has expired in August.
The officers turned their car around and followed the Hyundai to the Ropes Drive roundabout.
Mr Ablett said a tablet was mounted to the car’s dashboard in the view of the driver with The Simpsons playing on it.
The sirens and lights were put on the police car and the vehicle in front of Matejicek slowed down after becoming aware officers were behind them.
However, Matejicek appeared not to realise and had to perform an emergency stop in order not to collide with the other vehicle.
The court was told he skidded to a halt with only millimetres to spare.
Matejicek was slurring his words and a subsequent breath test showed he had 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.
Magistrates were told he had been driving despite receiving a 36-month ban in September for his second drink-drive conviction.
Paul Donegan, representing Matejicek, said his client was getting help for an alcohol problem after using it to seek solace following the death of his former girlfriend this year.
He is now in another relationship and holds down two jobs, one at The Swan in Southwold and another at a fashion store in the town.
Matejicek, formerly of Market Place, Southwold, had been driving home when he was stopped.
Mr Donegan said his client claimed he was not actually watching The Simpsons on the tablet, but his partner’s mother had left it on after getting out of the car when she felt unwell.
Mr Donegan said: “His intention thereafter was to us the tablet as a GPS device to find his way home.”
Matejicek admitting, drink-driving, disqualified driving, having no insurance or MoT, and watching television while driving.
He was jailed for 18 weeks, disqualified from driving for 48 months, ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge, and deprived of the Hyundai he bought for £800 last Thursday.
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