A local man has been fined £400 and given 10 points on his licence after pleading guilty to being In Charge of a Vehicle with Alcohol Concentration over the Limit.

Morton Peto, 61, of Varyl Begg Estate was sentenced at the Magistrates’ Court today (8 September).

The court heard that, at about 1615 on Saturday 22 July 2023, officers were called to Catalan Bay car park where Peto had already started the engine of his motorbike.  However, he was being prevented from driving away by two lifeguards who felt that he was too intoxicated to drive his machine.

As the police officers were of the same opinion as the lifeguards, Peto was asked to take a roadside breath test which gave a reading of 62ug. He was therefore arrested and taken to New Mole House where he provided two further samples of breath for the evidential machine. The lower of these reading was 47ug, well over the legal limit which is 35ug.

An RGP spokesman said, ‘By preventing this man from driving whilst under the influence of alcohol, these two lifeguards may well have prevented a road traffic accident. They assisted with detaining the individual and made an immediate call to our Control Room so we are grateful to them and we commend them for their prompt actions.

‘If anyone else sees someone whom they suspect of driving or being in charge whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, they can call us in confidence on 200 72500 or 199 in an emergency.’