A drink driver spotted by a member of the public after driving more than three times the legal limit has been jailed.
Valentas Nargela of Mepal was spotted by Cambridgeshire Police officers driving a Mercedes C Class in Ramsey Road and Milk and Water Drove near Peterborough just before 9pm on November 26.
A member of the public had reported the vehicle to police after they saw Nargela buy alcohol from a garage before drinking it in the car.
Officers followed the car, which weaved across the road and crossing towards the oncoming carriageway as Nargela was caught driving erratically between 20mph and 35mph.
Nargela was stopped by officers as he bumped into the back of a police car and denied drinking any alcoholic drinks in the previous 20 minutes.
But Nargela, 28, gave a roadside breath test reading of 122 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.
He was arrested and gave a further reading of 113 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
Nargela was charged on November 27 with drink driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
On November 28 at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, Nargela, of Rickwood Close, Mepal, was sentenced to three months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years.
PC Martin Lobley, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: “We can’t be everywhere, but this case highlights we could be anywhere and that we do act on the information reported to us.
“We would like to praise the member of the public who raised their concerns about Nargela and provided details of the car he was driving.”
PC Lobley added: “Drink driving is one of the fatal five causes of collisions on our roads and if Nargela wasn’t stopped when he was, the consequences of his actions could have been much worse.
“People can help us make the roads safer for everyone by reporting drink or drug drivers.”
The force operates a 24/7 confidential hotline - 0800 032 0845 – in order to report anyone thought to be driving under the influence.
Always call 999 in an emergency.
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