Northampton drink driver caught TWICE in 12 days during Police Christmas crackdown

Police arrested 95 people on suspicion of driving over the limit during a month-long crackdown in the run up to Christmas and New Year 2023

A Northampton motorist has been banned for four years after being caught drink driving twice in less than two weeks during a pre-Christmas police clampdown.

According to court documents, Abhi Abhi was found to be over the limit after being stopped behind the wheel of a Fiat Punto in Kelmarsh Avenue on December 14, 2023 — and again driving a Renault Clio in Ashton Way on Boxing Day. The 24-year-old also admitted driving the Renault with no insurance when he appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on January 22, 2024.

Tests on Abhi revealed he had 50 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath on the first occasion — the legal limit is 35mg per 100ml. His second offence showed an even higher reading, 66mg per 100ml.

Magistrates fined Abhi, of Boughton Green Road, Kingsthorpe, a total of £500 for the three offences and ordered him to pay a total of £370 towards prosecution costs and a surcharge to fund victim services.

Northamptonshire Police launched its annual campaign on December 1 and arrested 95 drivers on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol and 37 on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs.

Inspector Ian Wills of Northamptonshire Police Roads Policing Team said: “Our focus continues to be to reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“If you think you are safe to drive after drinking or taking drugs, think again. Even the slightest amount of alcohol or drugs in your system can affect the way you drive, increasing the risk of serious harm to yourself and other road users.

“It’s not possible to say how much alcohol you can drink and stay below the limit as the way alcohol affects you depends on various factors, and the risks of getting behind the wheel, not just on the night when you have been drinking, but also the morning after, could be fatal.

“Our advice is to avoid alcohol completely. The only safe limit is none.”

Latest annual figures showed Northamptonshire Police arrested a total of 995 people on suspicion of drink driving during 2022 while a further 707 road users were caught driving under the influence of alcohol between January and September 2023.