Three time banned driver ‘didn’t know drink driving was illegal’

A banned driver caught behind the wheel three times in two months told police he didn’t know it was illegal.

Ovidiu Gustere claimed it was not against the law in his native Romania.

The 39-year-old was caught driving on March 11, and May 4 and 7.

At Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, he was sentenced having previously pleaded guilty to three offences of driving while disqualified, two counts of having no insurance and a further matter of being twice the drink limit while in charge of a vehicle.

He also admitted a bail act offence when failing to appear at court on a previous occasion.

The court was told that police were called to a man being found unconscious in a Renault Laguna in The Parkway at 2pm on March 11.

Gustere, who had been banned for 12 months in February, was found alone, in the driver’s seat with the engine running.

Prosecutor Alison McIlroy said: “Mr Gustere accepted that he had driven to the shop to buy some alcohol. He had fallen asleep in his vehicle after consuming alcohol but said the engine was running in order to keep the car warm.

“There was no evidence that he had driven there.”

The defendant was arrested and blew 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

For that matter, he did not attend court on April 19, later telling police he knew he should have gone but was “scared” about what was going to happen.

On May 4 an off-duty officer spotted Gustere driving in Low Road, Low Fulney. And he was seen driving again on the A16 Spalding bypass three days later.

“He said he didn’t know it was illegal and it’s not illegal to drive while disqualified in Romania,” said Miss McIlroy.

The drink drive rules are actually stricter in Romania than they are in the UK.

Gustere later told a Probation officer that he knew he was disqualified when committing the May offences but was unable to get to work by any other means.

The defendant, of Cradge Bank, Spalding, said nothing in mitigation.

He was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order and given a fresh ban of 30 months.

Costs and victim surcharge totalling £199 were imposed.