Two people were sentenced for drink driving offences after appearing in the Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Monday 11 July).

In the first case, UK national Julian Clark, 52, who lives in Campamento, was fined £500 and banned from driving for nine months, after pleading guilty to Failing to Provide a Specimen. He also pleaded Guilty to No Insurance (£150 fine) and No MVT – the latter of which resulted in no separate penalty.

His arrest came just after 11pm on Thursday 30 June last month, after Clark lost control of his Spanish-plated motorcycle in the Frontier Loop and fell against a car, causing minor damage to the other vehicle.

Officers attended the incident and smelt alcoholic drink on Clark, who was breathalysed and gave a reading of 73ug – the legal limit is 35ug.

At New Mole House, he then refused multiple times to provide a sample of breath on the Evidential Breath Test Machine.

As a result, he was released from arrest for Driving a Motor Vehicle with Alcohol Concentration Over Limit and arrested for Failing to Provide a Specimen.

In the second case before the Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Sophie Noble, 35, of Harbour Views Road, was fined £500 after pleading guilty to In Charge of a Motor Vehicle Whilst over the Prescribed Limit.

Her arrest came just after 3am on Sunday 28 November last year, when officers spotted a local car stopped on Queensway Road with the lights on and with Noble sitting with her hands on the wheel in the driver’s seat. 

Officers spoke to her and found that she had slurred speech and smelt of alcoholic drink. Due to this observation, she was breathalysed and gave a reading of 72ug. Later at the station on the Evidential Breath Test Machine, she gave two samples, the lowest being 57ug.

A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police, said: “We’d like to send a clear message to drivers that they are putting themselves and others at significant risk when getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol.

“We want to stress to everyone that alcohol affects everyone differently and any amount can impair someone’s ability to drive. The only safe option is to avoid alcohol completely if you’re driving - even ‘just one drink’ could put you over the limit.”

If anyone has concerns about a person driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can call the RGP in confidence on 200 72500 or 199 in emergencies.