Six more suspected Brighton and Hove drink drivers arrested

Police have arrested six more drink drive suspects in or from the Brighton and Hove area.

One of them, a French driver, was banned from driving less than 36 hours after he was caught veering across the road while drunk.

Dimitry Cougy was arrested at 5.15am on Thursday (12 June) after he was spotted driving his Volkswagen Passat erratically in Marine Drive, Brighton.

When officers stopped Cougy, 20, of Villotte Saint Seine, near Dijon, in France, he was breathalysed and found to be twice the drink drive limit.

Cougy was charged with drink driving and remanded in custody to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty the next day.

He was banned from driving for 20 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, the head of the Sussex Police roads policing unit, said: “Within 36 hours of us catching Cougy, justice had been done and he had been banned from the roads.

“He may have thought that the streets would be clear of police officers at 5am on a Thursday but his case proves that we are out and about around the clock every day hunting and catching drivers who are putting themselves and other people at risk by getting the behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs.”

Marian Jones was arrested at 2.30pm on Wednesday (11 June) after officers stopped her car in Crowhurst Road, Hollingbury.

Jones, 63, of Waldron Avenue, Coldean, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 31 July.

Paul Hardy was arrested at 10.30pm on Wednesday after his van hit a bin in Thompson Road, Hollingdean.

Hardy, 47, of Windlesham Road, Brighton, was charged with failing to provide a specimen for analysis and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 31 July.

Donald Kirk was arrested at 10.55pm on Friday (13 June) after he was stopped during a drink drive check.

Kirk, 43, of Jesmond Road, Hove, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 31 July.

Deborah Clayson was arrested at 7.20am on Sunday (15 June) after her car was stopped in Brighton Road, Shoreham.

Clayson, 56, of Wickhurst Rise, Portslade, was charged with drink driving and released on bail to appear at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 30 September.

Colin Cameron was arrested at 8.15am on Sunday after he was found behind the wheel of his car in Arundel Road West, Peacehaven.

Cameron, 26, of Sutton Avenue, Peacehaven, was charged with being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle. He was released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 10 July.

Sussex Police said that 48 people had been charged this month as part of Operation Dragonfly, an annual crackdown on drink and drug driving.

More than ten of them are either from Brighton and Hove or are suspected of drink driving in the area.