A MOTORCYCLIST has been spared jail after being caught drink-driving on two consecutive days.
David John Gouedard (34) was also found to have no insurance disc for his vehicle and had failed to obey traffic directions, by performing a U-turn in a road where it was prohibited.
Appearing in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, he was fined £550, ordered to carry out 90 hours of community service and banned from the roads for two and a half years.
St Helier Centenier Danny Scaife, prosecuting, said the first offences occurred on the Esplanade at 11pm on 18 April. Police officers saw Gouedard’s blue Suzuki motorbike heading west along the road and then U-turning at the Gloucester Street traffic lights.
When they caught up with him they found he had no insurance disc.
Gouedard failed a roadside breath test, and a blood test at police headquarters showed that he had 174 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood – more than twice the legal limit of 80 millilitres.
In the early hours of the following morning Gouedard was captured on CCTV collecting his motorbike and riding it home – while still over the limit. A subsequent test showed he still had 149 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.
Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending, said: “Mr Gouedard was fully compliant with officers and entered guilty pleas.”
He argued against a prison sentence, saying: “He is capable of community service and he is capable of paying a fine.”
Relief Magistrate Michael McConnell told Gouedard that the offences could have resulted in a jail sentence, but gave him credit for pleading guilty.
He imposed the community service order and ban for riding the bike while over the alcohol limit, a £200 fine for not displaying an insurance disc, and £350 for failure to comply with traffic directions.
Gouedard was also ordered to retake the driving test after the ban has elapsed.
