Meet the drink drivers who put other Portsmouth motorists in danger at Christmas

A number of motorists caught driving under the influence of alcohol during December have appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court to answer for their crimes.

It comes after police ran a month-long crackdown between December 1 and January 1. Hampshire police's Sergeant Scott Kerr said it was 'disappointing' impaired drivers still took the roads.

Over the month, 495 drivers were breathalysed with 23 arrests. And 78 roadside drug tests caught 41 people in the crackdown.

Jack Bloy, 24 of Renny Road, Fratton, was arrested after crashing his Hyundai i10 into a fence outside the same court he faced justice, in Winston Churchill Avenue on December 13.

When breathalysed outside the police station, he was more than double the limit - with 93 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The court heard it was his last day of work and he had celebrated with a couple of cans of Fosters, then drove to a pub and continued to drink before getting into his car to go home.

Pleading guilty, Bloy said his actions were ‘silly’ – but district judge Anthony Callaway said it was much more serious.

‘It’s not silly, it’s downright criminal,’ he said.

‘I’m worried about people being killed.

‘This is just shocking – we could have had relatives of people who you killed here today.’

As reported in The News, couple Bradley Baker and Skyla Swan were walking past at around 11pm when Bloy crashed, showering them in shards of metal and plastic.

Bloy was given a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months, 150 hours’ unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation activities, and was banned for three years. He must complete a 14-day drink-impaired drivers’ course.

He must pay a £122 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Bryan Durrant, 52, of Manor Road, Fratton, also pleaded guilty to drink driving after being stopped on the M275 on December 13.

Durrant, who had 67 microgrammes of alcohol in breath, had his car keys taken away from him by concerned motorists after crashing.

Giles Fletcher, prosecuting, said: ‘He hit another car and a barrier at rush hour.

‘It's a very busy road and people have had to come to his car and take his keys to stop him from driving.

‘But he is a man of previous good character.’

Judge Callaway said: ‘It’s a disaster for everyone concerned – for the public and for you.’

Durrant was banned for two years, fined £1,000 and made to pay costs of £85 and a £100 victim surcharge.

Batsirai Tsenesa, 48 of Canada Drive, Redhill, was pulled over in London Road, Horndean, on December 8.

But the court heard how police first identified his erratic driving on the M275, heading out of Portsmouth.

Graham Heath, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant’s vehicle was showing poor lane discipline and using the brakes when there was no real need.

‘He was stopped and spoken to by police.’

Tsenesa, a biomedical scientist, admitted drink-driving. A test found he had 111 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Defending, Sally Martin, said of the defendant: ‘He was perhaps driving overly cautiously.’

Chairman of the magistrates bench, Kevin Head, disqualified him from driving for 26 months and gave him 80 hours of unpaid work under a 12-month community order.

He must pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £90.