THE New Year is just 17 days old, and already there have been 17 people convicted of drink driving, losing their licences, and also facing other punishments.

All 17 people have been banned from driving after getting caught behind the wheel while over the drink drive limit.

They have all appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court since the turn of the new year and pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit, with the 11 men and six women receiving fines, community orders and even jail time alongside their driving disqualifications.

Up first on January 4 was Kirsty Mulch, of Naylor Street, Halifax, who was caught in the town on August 28 last year driving with 94 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood, over the legal limit of 80mg.

The 37-year-old was fined £150, ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34, and banned from driving for one year.

Also in on this date was Daniella Sharples, 28, of Delph Crescent, Clayton, who admitted driving along Harrogate Road with 129mg of alcohol in her blood on August 21.

She was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £120, and ordered to past costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.

Next in on January 5 were the two Darrens. First was Darren Oakes, 43, from Halesowen in the West Midlands, who was caught in Tong Street on December 10 with 62 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, over the legal limit of 35mcg.

He was banned from driving for 17 months, fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34. He was also fined £40 for committing a further offence while subject to a suspended sentence (the offence of battery in 2020), and there was no separate penalty for driving without a licence or insurance.

Darren Burke, of Stead Street, Shipley, was next having been caught on October 26 in Valley Road while double the limit, blowing 71mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He was also driving while already banned and without insurance.

The 48-year-old was banned from driving for three years, and told he must undergo six months of treatment for alcohol dependency, do 20 days of rehabilitation activities, and 40 hours of unpaid work. He was also made to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £95.

Next up was a raft of people on January 6. They were:

  • Craig Turner, 52, from Swansea, who blew 54mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath after being stopped in Bolton Road on December 11. He was handed an interim ban and his case sent to Swansea Magistrates for sentence.
  • Mandeep Singh Sidhu, 34, Woodhall Park Avenue, Pudsey, caught on December 12 at the 147 Club in Bradford Lane, Laisterdyke, with 41mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He was fined £323, banned for 12 months, and told to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.
  • Robert Edwards, 63, of Wilmot Road, Ilkley, had 94mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – over double the limit – on December 11 when stopped in the street where he lives. He’s copped a three-year driving ban, a 7pm-7am curfew at home for two months monitored by electronic tag, 12 days of rehabilitation activities, costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £95.
  • Victoria Bradley, 31, of Gordon Street, Sutton-in-Craven, was caught in Grange Road on December 18 where she blew 67mcg per 100ml of breath. She admitted the offence – her sentencing has been adjourned until June 21 to consider special reasons whether she should not be disqualified from driving.
  • Christopher Wardle, 54, of Throstle Cottage, Halifax, blew 47mcg per 100ml of breath when stopped in the town on December 17. He’s been banned for a year, fined £276, and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.
  • Victoria Thompson, 40, of Burnside, Addingham, blew 59mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when stopped in Skipton Road, Ilkley, on December 23. She’s been fined £418, banned for 16 months, and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £42.
  • Anastasija Komarova, 27, of Dewhirst Street, Wilsden, caught with 49mcg per 100ml of breath in Cottingley Moor Road on December 15. She’s been fined £392, banned for 12 months, and told to pay £85 costs and a £39 victim surcharge.
  • Mark Buckley, 59, of Low Springs, Baildon, was caught on December 13 driving a JCB Digger along Northgate in Baildon when he blew 48mcg per 100ml of breath. He’s been banned for 12 months, fined £80, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
  • Jensen Cull, 21, of Tewit Close, Illingworth, was caught on December 9 in Eastbury Avenue, Bradford, with 76mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – double the legal limit – and was also driving without insurance. He’s been banned for 17 months, ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work, and pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
  • Andrew Adair, 41, of Bierley House Avenue, Bierley, was caught with 111mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – over three times the limit – on December 21 in Legrams Lane. He’s been banned for 50 months (four years, two months), told to receive six months treatment for alcohol dependency, do 20 days of rehabilitation activities, and pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Next in on January 7 was Shahena Begum, 31, of Milton Terrace, Halifax, caught on December 21 in the town while double the limit, blowing 72mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

She’s been banned from driving for 42 months (three-and-a-half-years), made to do 80 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity days, and pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Also in was Shane Cathcart, 24, of Leonard Street, Bingley, caught on December 4 in Sun Street, Steeton-with-Eastburn, when he blew 66mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. He was also driving while banned, with no insurance, and failed to surrender to court bail on December 23.

He was handed a 16 week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, order to abstain from drinking alcohol for 90 days, do 20 days rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work, was banned from driving for three years, and ordered to pay £300 compensation.

Finally, appearing on January 12 was Gintaras Kleinys, 21, of Spring Place, Shearbridge, who showed 185mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, double the limit, when stopped on May 16, 2020, in Beaumont Road. He also admitted criminal damage against a police car the same day in Sunbridge Road.

He was banned from driving for 20 months, fined £120, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

While these are the first convictions for drink driving in Bradford of 2022, they will no doubt be the last, as selfish, ignorant drivers continue to get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol and put themselves and other road users in severe danger of serious injury or death.