IN COURT: Eight more motorists sentenced after festive drink driving crackdown in Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police launched its annual, month-long drink and drug driving campaign over the festive period on December 1, 2024.

As part of the crackdown those caught driving over the legal limit will be publicly named on the Northamptonshire Police website and social media, and in this newspaper. This is a hard-line approach the force has taken over recent years.

Over the course of the 2024 Christmas campaign, officers arrested 134 drivers. Of those, 94 were on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol, 39 while unfit through drugs and one on suspicion of drink and drug driving. Dozens have already appeared in court and some have been sentenced.

Further court results for those charged during the campaign:

• Bob Alain Nyangang, aged 45, of Kingsland Gardens, Northampton, was back at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 10, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis. At the hearing, Nyangang was disqualified from driving for 24 months, handed a community order to complete 100 hours of unpaid work as well as told to pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge. Nyangang, who was arrested driving a grey KIA Ceed car in Grafton Street, Northampton, at about 3.45am on Sunday, December 1, was also fined £461 for driving without third party insurance. He received no separate penalty for driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
• Andrian Vutcariov, aged 41, of Lingwood Park, Northampton, changed his plea to guilty when he re-appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 10, to stand trial in relation to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. At the hearing, Vutcariov was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £843 as well as ordered to pay £85 court costs and £333 victim surcharge. He received no separate penalty for driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence. He was arrested driving a black Mercedes car in Wellingborough Road, Northampton, at about 6am on Monday, December 2, and charged after providing an evidential reading of 65 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
• Alan McGibbon, aged 67, of Orchard Way, Cogenhoe, was back at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, February 13, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. At the hearing, McGibbon was given a community order to complete a rehabilitation activity and disqualified from driving for 20 months. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge. He was arrested driving a silver Peugeot 407 car in York Avenue, Cogenhoe, at about 3.40pm on Wednesday, December 4, and charged after providing an evidential reading of 82 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
• Samuel Barry, aged 31, of John Smith Avenue, Rothwell, returned to Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Friday, February 21, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. At the hearing, Barry was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, which was suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from driving for 46 months. He was also ordered to pay £85 court costs. Barry was arrested while driving a white Vauxhall Combo van in Lower Street, Kettering, at about 4.20am on Saturday, December 7, and charged after providing an evidential reading of 85 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
• Connor Carmichael, aged 20, of no fixed address, was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £137, and told to pay £85 court costs and £164 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. At the Northampton Magistrates’ Court hearing on Saturday, February 8, Carmichael was also fined £137 for failing to attend court on Monday, January 6, and a further £137 for driving without third party insurance. Carmichael was arrested while driving a blue Renault Laguna car in Eastbrook, Corby, at about 1.30am on Saturday, December 14, and charged after providing an evidential reading of 48 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
• Mairead Kathleen Hogan, aged 38, of Shelley Road, Wellingborough, was disqualified from driving for 40 months and given a community order to complete a rehabilitation activity. She was also told to pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge. At Northampton Magistrates’ Court hearing on Wednesday, February 19, she pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen for analysis, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving with no insurance and possession of a Class A drug following her arrest in Bedford Road, Northampton, at about 1.30am on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25).
• Manhar Arora, aged 21, of Henry Street, Coventry, was back at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 19, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. At the hearing, Arora was fined £120 and disqualified from driving for 20 months as well as ordered to pay £85 court costs and £96 victim surcharge. He was also fined an additional £120 for driving without third party insurance. Arora was arrested while driving a black SEAT Ibiza in Queensway, Wellingborough, at about 4.45am on Friday, December 27, and charged after providing an evidential reading of 71 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
• Philip James Moore, aged 41, of Coast Road, Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment after being found guilty of failing to provide a specimen for analysis at his trial held at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, February 13. Moore, who was arrested while driving a black BMW 3 Series car in Montagu Street, Kettering, at about 9.30am on Saturday, December 28, was also disqualified from driving for 30 months and told to pay £85 court costs as well as £154 victim surcharge.