Delivery driver jailed after being caught twice drink drive limit on Peterborough parkway

Pawel Krupa, of Blyth Road, Hayes, Greater London, was spotted on the Fletton Parkway by officers on patrol.

They had noticed a van which had its hazard lights on and was stuck in the mud with its engine running at around 4.40am on 19 October.

They stopped to make sure the driver of the van was OK and discovered Krupa, (43), together with a concerned motorist who had also stopped to help him.

Krupa told police he was the driver of the van and was trying to get his vehicle free from the mud.

Officers became suspicious of Krupa and asked him to provide a roadside breath test, in which he blew over the legal drink drive limit.

He gave a further reading back at the police station where he blew 79 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath – more than double the legal limit of 35 micrograms.

In police interview Krupa admitted driving under the influence of alcohol.

He claimed to have drunk five beers at home before getting behind the wheel for his job as a bakery delivery driver.

Krupa said on the night in question he had delivered some baked goods in Peterborough before heading to Harlington.

He told officers that during the journey he had crashed into a kerb and got the delivery van stuck in the mud.

Krupa was sentenced at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court last Monday (21 October) after pleading guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Magistrates handed him eight weeks in prison and disqualified him from driving for three years.

PC Mohammed Haleem, who investigated, said: “Driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs is one of the fatal four causes of collisions on our roads, together with speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

“Krupa was spotted by officers on a proactive patrol and this reinforces the message that our officers can’t be everywhere but could be anywhere.”

The force operates a dedicated, confidential hotline for members of the public to report those driving under the influence of drink and drugs.

The hotline - 0800 032 0845 - is available 24/7, and gives people the opportunity to supply the police with information to help reduce the number of drink drivers on our roads.

For more information about drink driving, the law and the dangers it can cause, visit: www.cambs.police.uk/drinkdrugdriving