NEWSDAY

By RALPH BANWARIE Thursday, November 6 2014

SIX drivers from east Trinidad and one from Central were ordered to pay a total of $26,000 in fines when they all pleaded guilty to charges of drunk driving on Tuesday. In addition, the drivers had their driver’s permit suspended for between three to six months.

One of the drivers was fined $6,000 or in default of payment, 12 months simple imprisonment. He had his driving permit suspended for six months. The age of the drivers charged for drunk driving range from 20 to 45 years.

Dial Davis, 45, of Lobin Trace, Fishing Pond in Sangre Grande; Sampson Doyle, 20, of Jacob Hill, Wallerfield; Anil Dookie, 33, of Vega de Oropouche; Rishi Samad, 27, of Rampersad Trace, Vega de Oropouche; Jason Deonarine, 32 , of Paul Street Extension, Sangre Grande; Sheldon Gaffar, 36, of Mc Shine Street, Sangre Grande and Surujnarine Seecharan, 26, of Joyce Road Extension, Chaguanas all appeared before Magistrate Alexander Prince in the Second Court charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The charges were laid by PCs Mohammed, Singh, Manick, Roopsingh, Borneo and WPCs Mentor, Guerra-Kerr and Caraby all of Sangre Grande Traffic Branch. Before reading the charges, Prince lectured the errant drivers.

He said some drivers on the nation’s road operate in a careless manner without regard for their safety and the safety of others using the roadway. Time and time, he said, it has been said by law enforcement officers, magistrates, advertisements in the print and electronic media, “don’t drink and drive…save a life”.

“Drinking and driving is responsible for most of the carnage on the nation’s road. Some drivers have no respect for law, no respect for themselves and no respect for the lives and well-being of others who use the road. They just continue to drink and drive.

“No one is against drinking and liming…but please, if you must do this, designate a driver so that accidents can be prevented,” Prince advised.

He said if there are stiffer penalties for drivers charged for drunk driving this would deter persons from carrying out such a dangerous practice. The seven drivers all pleaded guilty to their respective drunk driving charge, following which Prince handed down the fines.

Davis was fined $6,000 or 12 months simple imprisonment and disqualified from driving for six months. Dookie was fined $4,000 or four months imprisonment and was disqualified from being the holder of a driver’s permit for six months.

Doyle was fined $4,000 or 12 months simple imprisonment in default of payment. He was also suspended from driving for the next four months. Samad had to pay a fine of $3,000 or 12 months simple imprisonment. He also cannot drive for the next three months.

Deonarine was fined $3,000 or three months imprisonment. He cannot drive until March of next year. Seecharan was fined $3,000 or three months imprisonment and disqualified from driving for three months.

The seven were held in a police road block exercise over the weekend by police in Sangre Grande. Prince allowed each driver 21 days in which to pay their fines.