A local man has been disqualified from driving after he was found to be more than twice the drink drive limit on an E-Bike.

Anthony Thorp, 37, of Moorish Castle Estate, was fined £400 and disqualified from driving for six months at the Magistrates’ Court yesterday, after pleading guilty to Driving a Motor Vehicle with Alcohol Concentration Over Limit (in conjunction with Section 75 of the Traffic Act - bicycle).

The court heard that just before midnight last Tuesday, officers were patrolling Winston Churchill Avenue when they spotted Thorp riding an E-Bike into GibOil Petrol Station.

Officers saw that he was unsteady on his feet and, on speaking to him, noticed that he was slurring his speech and smelt of alcoholic drink.

He then blew 88ug on the roadside breath test – the legal limit being 35ug – and was arrested. He was searched before he was placed in the police van and officers found that he was in Possession of Cocaine (0.3 grams), for which he was further arrested. At Court, he pleaded guilty to the possession, for which he was fined a further £400.

In a separate case before the Magistrates’ Court on Monday 20 March, Michael Roca, 56, of the South District, pleaded guilty to Driving with Alcohol Concentration Over Limit and was fined £500 and banned from driving for six months.

The court heard how at around 7:30pm on Friday 17 March, officers were patrolling Europa Road by the old Casino when they heard a crash behind them. Officers then saw Roca lying on the ground next to his motorcycle. On going to help Roca, he declined medical assistance, but officers could smell alcoholic drink on his breath and his speech was slurred. He blew 60ug on the Roadside Breath Test and was arrested. 

In another court case on Thursday 23 March, Anthony Davey, 63, of Rosia Road, pleaded guilty to Driving with Alcohol Concentration over Limit and was sentenced to 80 hours of Community Service and banned from driving for 3.5 years.

The court heard that at around 11pm on 20 January this year, officers spotted Davey driving a Ford Fiesta across the runway without his rear lights on.

Officers then saw him approach the traffic lights at the frontier. Although the lights were green for traffic, there were pedestrians still crossing and Davey sounded his horn, startling the pedestrians, and accelerated between them. Officers then stopped his car and Davey blew 78ug on a roadside breath test. He was then arrested.

Also in court that day was Antonio Moreno, 37, of Devils Tower Road, who pleaded guilty to Driving with Alcohol Concentration over Limit. He was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined £400.

The court heard how just after midnight on Thursday 23 March last week, officers pulled Moreno over on Devils Tower Road for a minor traffic matter. 

On speaking to him, officers noticed that he smelt of alcohol. On a roadside breath test he blew 58ug, before officers arrested him.

And in the last drink driving related court case last Monday 27 March, Jesse Lee Santos, 26, of the South District, pleaded guilty to Driving with Alcohol Concentration Over the Prescribed Limit and was fined £300 – with no disqualification.

The court heard that just before midnight last Friday, officers spotted Santos in a Honda Civic on Queensway, appearing to drive at speed. He was stopped and because officers could smell alcoholic drink on his breath, he was breathalysed. A roadside breath test gave a positive reading of 42ug and he was arrested.

A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police said: “As the Easter holiday period approaches, we would urge all road-users to consider the impact of an arrest for drink driving. 

“Our officers are out there – and if you’ve been drinking, they will be looking for you!”