Police In Drink Driving Crackdown

Drink Driving

Sussex Police announce a big crackdown this Christmas which will continue into next year.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, head of road policing said: 

We are not complacent and know that drink and drug-driving remains an issue across the counties, and will take action against anyone we suspect could be behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

We will not tolerate drink or drug-driving and we are determined to do whatever we can to make the roads safer.

A total of 20 drivers have been sentenced for their crimes since Operation Dragonfly – the Christmas 2015 crackdown on drink and drug-driving – launched on 1 December.

Amongst them were the following;

Sam Gordon, 24, unemployed, of Monastery Lane in Storrington, was arrested in Church Street, Storrington on 9 December.

He has since been charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis, failing to stop after a road traffic collision, aggravated vehicle taking and injury cause following a road traffic collision, driving with no insurance and driving with no licence.

He is due to appear before Worthing Magistrates’ Court on 14 January.

Juliet Robinson-Ovens, 42, a government employee, of Central Hill in London, was arrested in Hilltop Drive, Rye, on 4 December, and charged with driving with 65mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in her system, and being drunk in charge of a child.

She pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (23 December) and was disqualified from driving for 19 months.

She was also ordered to pay a £110 fine, a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge. The offence of drunk in charge of a child was withdrawn.

Prezemyslaw Bacia, 29, a packer, of Chichester Road, Bognor Regis, was arrested in Hillsboro Road, Bognor Regis, on 4 December, and charged with driving with 88mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system and driving with no insurance.

He pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (22 December) and was disqualified from driving for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay a £290 fine, a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs and a £29 victim surcharge.

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 (http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/).

To keep up to date with officers looking for drink or drug drivers, follow #opdragonfly on Twitter.

If you know someone is drink driving or after taking drugs call 999.