An 18-year-old was caught drink-driving after taking a friend’s car in a bid to “show off”.
Two police constables were on duty in the early hours of March 29 when they witnessed a Ford Fiesta driving towards them on Sylvden Drive in Walsoken.
The officers had already had dealings with the same car earlier in the evening when there were different people driving it.
On this occasion, Arijus Milius was behind the wheel. Because they knew a woman was insured to drive the car, he was pulled over.
They immediately noted the smell of alcohol, and Milius’ speech was slurred. He confirmed he did not have a driving licence at the time, and was therefore uninsured.
He proceeded to fail a roadside breath test and was arrested, being transported to the Lynn Police Investigation Centre.
While there, he provided an evidential reading of 59mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit to drive is 35mcg.
Milius appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
Mitigating, duty solicitor George Sorrell said: “When I asked him why this incident came about, why were you driving at all, never mind with alcohol, he gave a very honest answer - ‘I was showing off’.
“Showing off to his friends. The lady gave him permission to take the vehicle, and he was showing off to these male friends.”
Mr Sorrell told the court that Milius, of Tinkers Drove in Wisbech, appeared to be a “courteous and co-operative” young man, and that he works in a factory.
“He has learnt a bitter lesson, and he realises that,” the solicitor added.
When magistrates pointed out that the woman who let Milius drive her car could also have been prosecuted, Mr Sorrell said: “He feels ashamed about this. He values proper and good friendships.”
Magistrates disqualified Milius from driving for 16 months, but offered him a drink-driving awareness course which will reduce that term by 16 weeks if completed by next March.
He was fined £400 for the drink-driving offence and £50 for driving without insurance, while he will also pay a £180 victim surcharge and court costs of £85.
