Judge Gary Perry said cases seemed to be on the increase, with more involving crashes, and he vowed that sentences would increase immediately.
He was talking in the Magistrate’s Court on a day when four people appeared accused of drink-driving and an arrest warrant was issued for a fifth, Tony Laurence Paul Turner, 46, from the UK, who failed to turn up.
Police are currently running an anti drink-driving campaign, code-named Operation Bauble, which saw 131 motorists stopped over this weekend.
So far, nearly 400 people have been stopped, with eight arrested on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit.
‘It is ludicrous that annually we have to run such campaigns targeting people who choose to get behind the wheel of the car while intoxicated, but the statistics show that people still make that poor decision,’ said Inspector Asa Flatres from the force’s roads policing unit.
‘It is not worth the risk, and each arrest represents a potential tragedy being prevented.
‘Out of the eight arrests this month, some drivers have been involved in collisions and some have caused damage to private property.
‘Make a good decision, please plan ahead, get a taxi, use the night buses, arrange a designated driver, but don’t become a statistic.
‘And if you suspect someone is driving under the influence then please report it to the Joint Emergency Control Centre.’
Four motorists are fined and banned after admitting drink-drive offences
In court yesterday Karin Leale, 53, of Route Carre, St Sampson’s, admitted drink-driving at Rue Mainguy, Vale. She gave a breath sample that revealed 127mcg of alcohol per 100ml of her breath when the legal limit is 35. She will be sentenced next month when a probation report has been prepared and was bailed until then with a condition not to drive.
Thomas Kenny, 20, of Ville au Roi, St Peter Port, crashed his Ford Fiesta in to a wall at the traffic lights junction of Ville au Roi and Mount Row at 1.50am. Air bags were deployed so he was taken to hospital to be checked. He was taken in to custody soon after where he gave a breath reading of 78mcg. He said in interview that he had felt fine to drive and his car had slid on the wet road. He admitted the drink-drive offence and had no previous convictions.
Defending, Advocate Sarah Morgan said her client had been relieved that nobody had been hurt.
Kenny was fined £1,100 and banned from driving for three years.
When police officers followed a car up Le Val des Terres at about 12.30am they saw it clip a kerb with the rear wheel.
When they stopped the driver, Andrew Hassain, 40, of Rue des Bergers, Castel, in Prince Albert Road, they noticed his breath smelled of alcohol. He said he had drunk a pint at a works event but failed a roadside breath test. An evidential one in custody following his arrest gave a reading of 45. He had no previous convictions.
Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client had told the custody sergeant that he had drunk two beers. He was distraught at what he had done. Hassain was fined £700 and had his licence suspended for 18 months.
Kevin Stevens, 58, of Green Lanes, St Peter Port, denied drink-driving at Rohais, St Peter Port. He gave a breath reading of 44 but the court was told that he would argue it was alcohol he consumed after he stopped driving that put him over the prescribed limit.
Ivan Larrubia, 26, of Rue de Varivary, St Martin’s, denied failing to provide a breath sample while suspected of being over the prescribed alcohol limit, and his case will go to trial.
On Friday a 56-year-old man, Mark Shutlar, from the UK, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court after he was found behind the wheel of his car on the L’Ancresse Golf Course at night where he told officers he was lost.
A roadside breath test showed a reading of 110mcg so he was arrested. An evidential one at the Police Station gave a reading of 121. He had no previous convictions.
Judge Marc Davies jailed him for three weeks and banned him from driving for three years.