Patrols increase as more drivers are charged and banned for drink driving

Inspector Si Paull said “We are increasing our patrols to catch drink and drug drivers and put them before the courts because drinking or taking drugs and driving significantly increases your risk of being involved in a serious collision.

“A collision does not just affect the driver, it affects passengers too and puts every road user at risk.    The consequences for families can be devastating and this behaviour will not be tolerated.”

The two banned drivers, who now face the costs of car repairs and increased insurance premiums, were sentenced at Leamington Magistrates Court on Wednesday 11 December 2024 after pleading guilty to drink driving.

Twenty-six year old Todd RICHARDS from Coventry Road, Fillongley, failed to stop at the scene after crashing his car into railings in Russelheim way in Rugby town centre, causing significant damage to his car and the street furniture on 4 November.  Witnesses told us he and his passenger had driven off towards Dunchurch Road and thanks to their description of Todd, we were able to locate him in an alleyway a short distance away and arrest him for drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. In court, he was banned from driving for 17 months and fined £448.   He was also ordered to pay an £85 fine and £179 victim surcharge.

Twenty-one year old Catherine ADKIN from The Copse, Southwater, Horsham was fortunate not to have caused serious injury to herself and others when she crashed her car into the back of another vehicle on the A46 northbound at Stoneleigh.  The collision happened during the evening rush hour on 20 November and when we arrested her, we took her to hospital to be checked over first due to her injuries. In court she was banned from driving for 14 months, and fined £200 for drink driving.  She was also ordered to pay £85 costs and £80 victim surcharge.

Both bans can be reduced by a quarter if the driver satisfactorily completes an approved driving retraining course.

Six others have been charged with drink or drug driving related offences and are waiting to appear in court, including:

A member of the public came across a car partially on the grass verge and missing its nearside front wheel in Main Street Stretton under Fosse on the evening of Wednesday 4 December.  When we arrived,  35 year old Tansley NAYLOR from Duke Street, Kettering was with a member of the public.  We later charged him with driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.

We were on patrol when we saw 47 year old Brian PAYNE from Leamington commit a moving traffic offence and we stopped his car on Shipston Road, Newbold on Stour in the early hours of Thursday 7 December.  We later charged him with drink driving.

Both drivers are due to appear at Leamington Magistrates Court on 3 January 2025.

Thanks to an off duty officer who saw 64 year old Ian ROONEY driving on Aston Cantlow Road, Wilmcote, early evening on 10 December, he was arrested.  Ian, from Upper Billesley, Stratford-on-Avon allegedly crashed into two stationary vehicles causing damage. He failed a roadside breath test and was charged with drink driving to appear at Leamington Magistrates Court on 8 January 2025.

We were called to a collision where 44 year old Arpit VOHRA from Newman Avenue in Harrow had crashed his car, leaving the road and overturning in the early hours of 7 December on Oakley Wood Road, Leamington Spa.  We believe he was the only person involved and when we arrived he failed a roadside breath test. He was later charged with driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs and is due to answer the charge at Leamington Magistrates Court on 10 January 2025.

We also arrested a 19 year old driver from Barwell, Leicester late evening on 10 December after we saw him driving on the A46 near Festival Island roundabout and we pulled him over.  He failed a drug wipe for cannabis and was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.  He has been released under investigation while we progress our enquiries.