Dashcam footage captures Haverhill drink-driver's 'reckless' route through Suffolk town
Police released dashcam footage of Jose's route through the town
A drink-driver has been banned from driving for two years - as his own dashcam footage revealed him weaving along roads and crashing into barriers.
Merlvin Jose appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
He was disqualified from driving for 24 months, fined £864 and ordered to pay £346 victim surcharge and £105 in costs.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday 12 November, when police received reports of a car swerving across the road in Haverhill, Suffolk.
A witness said it had mounted the kerb and crashed into a barrier on the A143 Wratting Road. They had then watch it go the wrong way round a roundabout at the junction with Lord’s Croft Lane.
When police arrived they found Jose, of Ruffles Road, Haverhill, standing in front of a Ford Focus looking at the damage.
He told an officer that he had drunk some beer and subsequently failed a roadside breath test.
Jose was then arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and was taken to Bury St Edmunds police investigation centre, but when requested to provide an evidential sample of breath for analysis in custody he failed to do so and was subsequently charged with that offence.
Sgt Matt Cooper said the incident occurred "at a time when it was still relatively busy with pedestrians around - and it is extremely fortunate that no one was seriously injured as result of Merlvin Jose’s reckless actions.
“To lose control of the vehicle in the way he did demonstrated that he was clearly unfit to drive and it is simply not acceptable to get behind the wheel if you have been drinking."
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