A sleepy scaffolder has been banned from driving for a year after he was found dozing at the wheel of his car with the engine running.
Blake Densley was slumped behind the wheel by the corner of Chichester Close and Hangleton Way, Hove, on Wednesday 17 December.
Ava Zoccola, prosecuting, told Brighton magistrates that he appeared to be drunk but refused to take a roadside breath test or give a specimen for analysis at the police cells in Hollingbury.
Densley, of Chichester Close, pleaded guilty to failing to co-operate when asked to take a preliminary breath test at the roadside and failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
The bench banned him from driving for a year on Friday 17 April and fined him £750. Densley was also ordered to pay £85 costs a £300 victim surcharge, making £1,135 in all.
He is among four more drivers to have been convicted as a result of arrests made during the annual Christmas and new year crackdown on drink and drug driving.
A total of 279 people were arrested during the operation which ran from Monday 1 December to Thursday 1 January. So far, 80 of those who were arrested have been convicted.
They include travel industry worker Krystle Jones, 40, of Collingwood Close, Peacehaven, who was arrested in Brighton Road, Newhaven, on Saturday 27 December.
She had been driving a two-year-old white 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsa Ultimate Turbo Auto when she failed a breath test.
Sussex Police said that Jones was charged with driving while she had 55 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) breath.
At Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 April, she was banned from driving for a year, fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £40 victim surcharge.
Charlie Palmer, 33, an electrician, of Church Close, Shipley, was arrested in King’s Road, Brighton, on Thursday 18 December. He was driving a grey Mini.
Palmer was charged with failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis, driving with no insurance and assaulting a police officer, PC Cullington, in the execution of her duty.
At Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Friday 17 April, he was banned from driving for three years, fined £900 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Vanessa Jones, 53, unemployed, of Maesycoed Road, Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, was arrested by Gatwick airport, in Perimeter Road North, Crawley, on Monday 29 December.
She was charged with driving with failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Friday 8 May, she was banned from driving for 32 months, given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £85 costs a £114 victim surcharge.
Sussex Police said: “In keeping with previous years, we will continue to publicly identify anyone convicted of drink or drug driving as part of this campaign to raise awareness of the issue and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence.”
