NEWSDAY
By AZARD ALI Tuesday, October 28 2014
A MAN went to jail for three months yesterday for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Inshan Ali Diljohn, 42, of Pearl Street, La Romaine, reappeared before Magistrate Rehanna Hosein yesterday, he having been fined and disqualified from holding a driver’s permit by the said magistrate in January. In fact, Diljohn, had appeared in December 2011 for driving under the influence, and was fined.
Yesterday, Diljohn, who was arrested on Saturday on Cipero Street, was escorted before Hosein by police officers. Diljohn was kept in custody due to the fact that he had no permit or insurance for the vehicle. Hosein read the charge that he drove PCM 7814 while under the influence of alcohol, on Saturday. Another charge read, he drove the vehicle while being disqualified from driving. The third charge alleged that the vehicle had no insurance.
Diljohn, who was charged by PC Thomas, pleaded guilty to the charges.
As he stood before Hosein yesterday, the court police prosecutor, Sgt Dianath Harricharan, said that when PC Thomas stopped Diljohn at 12.10 am on Cipero Street, he had a bottle, half-full with beer tucked by the handbrakes. When asked where he was going, the prosecutor said, Diljohn told the police officer, “I going to the hospital with a child.”
Two tests were done on his breath, the court heard, and the last one read – 83 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath.
Harricharan went on to tell Hosein that when the police officer requested his driving permit, Diljohn replied, “Officer, ah doh have none; Ah was disqualified some months ago.” It was revealed that on December 5, 2011, Diljohn was fined $3,000 for driving under the influence of alcohol. On January 4, he was fined $10,000 for the same offence and disqualified from holding a driver’s permit.
Asked by Hosein why he went on to commit the same offence a third time, Diljohn steered clear from mentioning to the magistrate what he had told Thomas about taking a child to the hospital. He instead said, “Somebody broke into my house and I was frustrated. I was hungry and I went by the ‘cross’, to get something to eat.”
The magistrate sentenced Diljohn to three months hard labour for driving under the influence, as mandated by the Breathalyser Act; two months for driving without a permit and two months for not having any insurance for the vehicle by virtue of he being disqualified. The sentence are to run concurrently so Diljohn will serve three months.
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