Two drivers who were arrested in Brighton and Hove have been banned after they failed to provide a specimen of either their breath or blood.
Ryan Pretlove, 29, a telephonist, of Applesham Avenue, Hove, was arrested in Hangleton Valley Drive, Hove, during Sussex Police’s annual drink and drug driving crackdown in December.
At Brighton Magistrates’ Court earlier this week, Pretlove pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath.
He was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £334 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £34 victim surcharge, making £453 in total.
Giorgio Dellesite, 19, unemployed, of Paynesfield, Bolney, was arrested in Kingswood Street, Brighton, during the crackdown.
Dellesite pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of blood when suspected of drink or drug-driving.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, he was banned from driving for 19 months, fined £120 fine, and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £34 victim surcharge, making £239 in total.
Sussex Police said: “A total of 212 arrests were made in Sussex during our Christmas crackdown on drink and drug drivers, which ran from Tuesday 1 December 2020 to Friday 1 January 2021.
“This dedicated operation – aimed to provide education and enforcement to motorists – was run in addition to our routine roads policing activity, 365 days a year.
“Of those arrested, 34 have since been convicted in court. The remaining have either been charged, released under investigation or released without charge.”
Sussex Police said that 44 of the 212 people arrested were stopped in Brighton and Hove, while 22 of those arrested were from Brighton and Hove.
Chief Inspector Michael Hodder, of the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit, said: “Even a small amount of alcohol has the ability to impair your judgment and reaction time.
“If you drink and drive you are committing an offence which carries with it a risk of serious injury or death to yourself or someone else.
“The bottom line is there is no excuse to drive under the influence of drink or drugs.
“Our priority is to keep everyone safe on our roads and we will continue to crack down on anyone who compromises this.”
