Lorry driver with whiskey bottles in his cab sentenced after being SIX times over drink-drive limit
•A lorry driver named Darek Smagiel was sentenced for being six times over the legal drink-driving limit.
•He was found swerving on the A14 in Cambridgeshire, with whiskey bottles covering the cab floor.
•Smagiel received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and a three-year driving ban after pleading guilty to drink and dangerous driving.
المصدر: GB News | Source: GB NewsA lorry driver has been sentenced after being found to be six times over the legal drink-driving limit.
Darek Smagiel was seen behind the wheel of a lorry swerving across the A14 eastbound at Fenstanton in Cambridgeshire earlier this week.
Cambridgeshire Police was alerted to the motorist following calls from members of the public about his dangerous driving.
The Iveco heavy goods vehicle was stopped by police officers, where they saw the floor of the cab covered in whiskey bottles.
TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayMr Smagiel provided a roadside breath test and blew 221 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
This is more than six times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes, while he provided an evidential reading of 121 two hours after his arrest.
At Cambridge Magistrates' Court on July 14, Smagiel pleaded guilty to drink driving and dangerous driving.
The driver, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was disqualified from driving for three years.
PC James Allen, from the Road Policing Unit of Cambridgeshire Police, said the driver put other road users at risk of a "serious collision".
He added: "Smagiel's driving fell far below the standards of a careful and competent driver.
"I would like to thank members of the public who called in to report his driving, which has ensured he is now off the roads for a considerable time."
Footage from Cambridgeshire Police shows the heavy goods vehicle swerving across the carriageway on the A14 on July 13.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Motorists slam eyesight rules impacting millions as new driving licence rules punish over-70s
- DVSA fails millions of MOT tests due to faulty number plates as motorists risk £2,500 fine
- Labour hails success of Electric Car Grant as 140,000 Britons save up to £3,750 on popular EVs
The incident, which took place just after 1pm, saw the vehicle travelling at around 50mph while meandering between the first and second lane.
Once police officers entered the cab, Mr Smagiel was told that he was being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence or drink or drugs.
The officer said: "I've nicked him. Mate, I can smell the liquor in here. It's as simple as that. You are drunk, you are."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
→A lorry driver named Darek Smagiel was sentenced for being six times over the legal drink-driving limit.
→He was found swerving on the A14 in Cambridgeshire, with whiskey bottles covering the cab floor.
ملاحظة تحريرية | Editorial Note: نُشر هذا المقال في الأصل بواسطة GB News. خبر (Khabr) هي منصة إعلامية أردنية مرخّصة تعمل بالذكاء الاصطناعي. نضيف قيمة تحريرية من خلال: تحليل ذكي للأخبار، ملخصات تلقائية، رواية صوتية بالذكاء الاصطناعي، ترجمة متعددة اللغات، وتدقيق الحقائق. هدفنا جعل الأخبار أكثر وضوحاً وسهولةً للقارئ العربي.
This article was originally published by GB News. Khabr is a licensed Jordanian AI-powered news platform (Registration #82086). We add editorial value through: AI-powered news analysis, automated summaries, AI audio narration, multi-language translation (Arabic, English, French, Turkish), and AI fact-checking. Our mission is to make news more accessible and understandable for Arabic-speaking audiences worldwide.
