Drink-driving ‘can have a horrific impact’

‘We have seen first-hand locally the horrific impact this can have on family life.

‘Is it really worth it?

‘There are alternative methods to get home.

‘A simple way of not drink-driving is to leave your vehicle at home so there is no temptation to drive when you may think it’s a good idea at the time.’

The comments made by Judge McKerrell followed two cases in court.

Christopher William Martin, 31, [no address given]admitted drink-driving along Fort Road.

The court heard he was driving a green Jimny south along South Esplanade just after 1am.

The police saw it and followed it up the Val des Terres.

They noticed the vehicle was driving erratically, veering across the road and over the grass verge.

They stopped the car on Fort Road and found that Martin smelled of alcohol. He blew a reading of 101 micrograms per 100ml of breath.

The limit is 35mg.

He has a conviction for being drunk in charge of a vehicle in 2012 and for drink-driving in Norfolk in 2016.

Defence advocate Samuel Steel said his client had been celebrating getting a job interview in the finance sector with some friends and had drunk wine, beer and spirits, before getting behind the wheel.

He asked the court to note that the previous matters had much lower alcohol readings.

Judge McKerrell said Martin was lucky this matter had not gone to the Royal Court.

‘You have a terrible record with a very high reading,’ he said.

‘You have obviously not learnt your lesson.’

Martin was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison and banned from driving for six years.

In the same court sitting, Ciaran Ferbrache, 20, of La Neuve Charterie, Le Frie au Four, St Saviour’s, also admitted drink-driving along South Esplanade.

At 12.40am he was spotted on CCTV getting into a blue Ford Fiesta on the Crown Pier and driving off.

He was seen to swerve and the police stopped him. He blew a reading of 103mg per 100ml.

He had no previous matters on his record.

Defence Advocate Rachel Donaldson said that this was a wake-up call for his client.

Judge McKerrell said Ferbrache was old enough to know better.

‘There is clearly an issue with alcohol in your life,’ he said.

‘[But] you cannot allow these personal and private issues to put others at risk of harm by your selfish actions.’

Ferbrache was ordered to undertake a 40-hour community service order and was banned from driving for three years.

In its most recent annual Guernsey Police report, for 2017, 76 people were charged with drink drive offences, compared with 66 in 2016.