Boozy driver followed back to Mansfield after downing a jug of wine

A drink driver downed a jug of wine and four beers before travelling back to Mansfield on the M1, a court heard.
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A member of the public followed Petru Dragu’s BMW back to his Stanley Street home, after becoming concerned about his driving, at Junction 29 of the motorway, just before 11pm, on December 17.

Dragu was pointed out to officers as he urinated against a wall, and an empty box of Fosters lager was found in his car, said prosecutor Lee Shepherd.

A test revealed he had 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

“He told officers he had been drinking at a friend’s house in Sheffield and consumed a jug of wine and four beers throughout the evening.”

Dragu, 28, who had no previous convictions, admitted driving with excess alcohol via a Romanian interpreter, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Monday.

Harry Bevan, mitigating, said Dragu’s friend had offered to drive him home, but instead he drank and “left him without a lift.”

“He was fearful that he would receive disciplinary action of he didn’t attend work the next day,” he said.

“The irony is that now that he is going to lose his licence, his employment will also end.”

Dragu was banned for 19 months, but was offered a drink drive rehab course which will reduce the disqualification by 144 days if completed before January 2019.

He was also fined £250, and and must pay £85 costs and a £30 government surcharge.

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