Northampton drink-driver gets four-year ban but spared jail to deal with booze addiction

Northampton magistrates hit a drink-driver with a four-year ban — but spared him jail after hearing he is tackling alcohol misuse.

Svajunas Zirniauskas, aged 34, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for two years after also pleading guilty to driving while disqualified and having no insurance.

Court documents showed magistrates deemed the offences serious but Zirniauskas is the sole breadwinner for his partner and child and that he is “motivated to deal with alcohol misuse.”

Tests showed Zirniauskas had 83 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath when he was stopped in North Wales on October 16 last year. The legal limit is 35mg.

Zirniauskas, of Newcombe Road in St James, was also ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and have treatment for alcohol dependency, plus to pay £213 in prosecution costs and a surcharge to fund victim services.