Drove drunk up to 90mph through town

A Spalding man who drove at speeds of up to 90mph in a built-up area in Spalding, subsequently refused to give a specimen of breath for analysis, a court has heard.

Damian Sanocki (28), of Bonnington Court, admitted failing to provide a specimen and using a car without insurance, when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecuting, Julie Costello said he was seen driving at excessive speeds in a Honda Civic in Westlode Street on June 12 and was arrested after he was signalled to stop and provided a roadside breath test of 94 microgrammes, the legal limit being 35.

She said that at Boston Police Station, he told the custody officer he did not need a translator as he spoke English, but when the procedure started, he said he did need one and refused to answer any questions or to provide a breath sample for analysis.

Mitigating, Lisa Elkington said Sanocki had been to a barbecue where he had had an argument with his partner, who had left.

She said he drank five beers before leaving to drive home and said he ‘did not feel drunk’.

She said he was angry and stressed because of the argument with his partner, which may have led to the language problem.

She said English was not Sanocki’s first language and it depended who he was speaking to as to how well he understood, but he was angry at how the evening had turned out and he had refused the test.

The magistrates ordered Sanocki to undertake 160 hours of unpaid work for the community and banned him from driving for 22 months, although he was offered the drink drivers’ rehabilitation course, which will reduce the period of the ban by 22 weeks.

He was also ordered to pay a total of £180 in court costs and charges.