Guilty Plea: Refusing To Give Breath Sample

In Plea Court yesterday [May 9] Warwick resident 22-year-old Marieko Paul pleaded guilty to a charge of refusing to give a breath sample to Police. The charge stemmed from his being stopped on the evening of 6th May on Front Street.

The normal penalty for this offence carries a heavy fine and an automatic disqualification from driving all vehicles. Paul was fined $1,000 and given a modified disqualification.

Mr Paul said that he was working fulltime as a technician responsible for the installation and repair of appliances sold by Bermuda Gas & Utility Co Ltd, and that his normal employment required him to drive a company van.

Lawyer Kamal Williams was able to successfully argue that if Mr Paul was disqualified from driving all vehicles, he would suffer an undue hardship because he was likely to lose his job. He asked the presiding Magistrate, Senior Magistrate Archie Warner, to exercise discretion.

Magistrate Archie Warner took Mr William’s submission into consideration and ordered that Paul was to be disqualified from driving all vehicles for twelve months, with the exception that he could drive commercial vehicles in connection with his employment at Bermuda Gas and Utility Co.

#DrunkDriving #MagistratesAndSupremeCourt

Category: All, Court Reports, Crime