A Brighton bus driver who was caught driving passengers while more than four times the limit has been spared jail.
A passenger on board the 52 alerted police when driver Gilbert Kmiecik took a wrong turn off the 52 route during the morning rush hour.
When police caught up with the bus in St George’s Place, they arrested him and a breath test showed a result of 148mg per 100ml – far more than the legal limit of 35mg.
Prosecuting today at Brighton Magistrates Court, David Holman said: “A passenger on the bus, with great presence of mind, realised the bus had taken a wrong turn and was concerned about the manner of driving and phoned the police.
“The police found the bus and it came to a natural stop in St George’s Place, Brighton, where the police officers came on board and engaged with the driver.
“The bus had about 12 passengers on board and the defendant was breathalysed and he failed that and so he was arrested and taken to Brighton Police Station where he provided an evidential breath test.
“This was at 8.30 in the morning – a bus in a very busy town. He was driving a public service vehicle carrying passengers.
“It was a big bus and it was a busy city that he was driving through where there would have been a high level of traffic and pedestrians around. He was driving a long route.”
Defending, Josie Sonnessa said Kmiecik, 57, is “deeply ashamed” of his behaviour.
She said: “In his meeting with probation, he was visibly upset. He offers absolutely no excuse for his behaviour.
“At 57, he is of absolutely previous good character, a hard-working, family man.
“He knows he must be punished.”
The chair of the bench said: “We are sending you to prison for a total period of 16 weeks, however the sentence will be suspended on condition that you are not convicted of another offence in the next 12 months.”
He was ordered to undertake 120 hours of unpaid work, and wear a tag to monitor his alcohol intake for 120 days.
He was also banned from driving for 24 months and to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £154.
Very strange. Drink driving in a large bus in the city and he gets off with a suspended sentence? Not even a fine?
You didn’t read the whole article, did you?
He’s also lost his licence and his job. And whilst serious I’m not sure jailing someone for something that might have happened is the way forward.
I’m more concerned that no one at Big Lemon spotted his intoxicated state before he left the depot.
I’ve worked with a lot of vulnerable people. It is surprising how normal people can appear, whilst being in much deeper levels of intoxication as seen here. I recall one being 10x over the limit, back in the days when we breathalysed before dispensing methadone. You would not have known by looking at them at all.
He won’t be completely off the hook as the Traffic Commissioner can also request him for a hearing, potentially leading to more fines up to even custodial sentence (on top of this sentence).
Joke country