Ipswich Christmas Day drink-driver loses his licence after giving friends a lift
Julian Ditcham with the Drager Alcotest used by Suffolk Constabulary. Pic Archant
A Christmas Day drink-driver who agreed to give his friends a lift is the latest motorist caught in Suffolk police’s festive crackdown to lose his licence.
Dian Dutescu, of Cullingham Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty before the town’s magistrates to drink-driving, and failing to surrender to attend court.
Prosecutor Colette Harper said a police sergeant saw a VW Golf being driven in Ipswich town centre at 3.10am on December 25. The driver, who was Dutescu, was not wearing a seatbelt.
The officer followed the 24-year-old’s car and thought the driver was unfamiliar with the road layout due to the manner of his driving. He stopped Dutescu’s vehicle in Grange Road. There were four other people in the VW.
A breath test showed Dutescu had 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.
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Dutescu was released on bail to appear before the court on January 10, but failed to do so.
He was arrested on January 17 and kept in custody overnight to appear in court yesterday via a video link.
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Through a Romanian interpreter Dutescu said he had to work on his original court date.
He had decided to drive on Christmas Day, even though he had been drinking, as his friends had asked for a lift.
Magistrates disqualified Dutescu from driving for 15 months and ordered him to pay a total of £280 in fines and costs. They deemed a day in custody was sufficient punishment for previously failing to appear in court.
