Guernsey Press

Man admits drink-driving on e-scooter

Unal Gokbulut failed a roadside breath test near his home in Ipswich.

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A man has admitted drink-driving while riding an e-scooter.

Unal Gokbulut was using the electric device when he was stopped and failed a roadside breath test near his home in Ipswich in the early hours of April 5, Suffolk Police said.

The 42-year-old appeared before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Friday where he admitted drink-driving while using the electric scooter.

Speaking through a Turkish interpreter, he said: “It’s correct. I’ve taken alcohol. I accept.”

Unal Gokbulut arrives at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court
Unal Gokbulut arrives at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court (Victoria Jones/PA)

Presiding magistrate Robert Saunders imposed an interim driving ban on the defendant.

Suffolk Police said Gokbulut, of Hilton Road, provided a breath test sample of 70 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – twice the legal limit of 35mcg.

E-scooters are treated as motor vehicles by the Department for Transport and are subject to the same legal requirement as other vehicles.

It is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter on a public road, cycle lane or pavement in the UK.

The only place they should be used is on private land.

However, the Government has begun trials of e-scooters in approved rental schemes.

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