Latest Trio Of Convictions From Christmas Drink And Drug-Driving Campaign

Car crashed. Airbags deployed. Driver arrested. Licence lost.

This is what happened when a woman decided to get behind the wheel of her car while more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.

24-year-old Billie Saunders is among the latest three people to be convicted in court, having been arrested during Sussex Police’s Christmas crackdown on drink and drug-drivers.

A total of 279 people were arrested during the operation, which ran from 1 December to 1 January.

Of these, so far 10 have been convicted and a further 87 charged. These are the latest individuals to have lost their licence:

• Jay Hickey, 33, unemployed, of no fixed address, was arrested in Durrington Lane, Worthing, on 2 December and charged with failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis.

  At Worthing Magistrates’ Court on 30 December, he was disqualified from driving for 16 months, fined £120, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

  
  

• Billie Saunders, 24, a sales assistant, of Beaumont Close, Crawley, was arrested in High Street, Crawley, on 6 December, and charged with driving with 76 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

  At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 30 December, she was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £392, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £187 victim surcharge.

  
  

• Krystian Nierwinski, 27, unemployed, of no fixed address, was arrested in Bedford Avenue, Bognor Regis, on 28 December, and charged with driving with 115 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, and driving without a valid licence or insurance.

At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 29 December, he was disqualified from driving for 26 months, fined £1,040, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £624 victim surcharge.

In keeping with previous years, we will continue to publicly identify anyone convicted of drink or drug-driving as part of this campaign to raise awareness of the issue and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence.

The consequences of drink or drug-driving could include:

• Killing or seriously injuring yourself or someone else;

• A minimum 12-month ban;

• An unlimited fine;

• A possible prison sentence;

• A criminal record, which could affect your current and future employment;

• An increase in your car insurance costs;

• Difficulty travelling to countries such as the USA.

If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs, call 999.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it online.