A 51-YEAR-OLD motorist drove his car into a granite wall while more than three times the legal alcohol limit and walked home without reporting the crash.
Joao Paulo Betencourt De Jesus crashed his black Suzuki on Mont des Longchamps in St Brelade on 11 February with enough force to leave a large hole in the wall. No one was injured, but his car was written-off, the Magistrate’s Court heard yesterday.
St Brelade Centenier Amanda Wright said that when the police breathalysed De Jesus he gave a reading of 116 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than three times the legal maximum of 35 micrograms.
Speaking through a Portuguese interpreter, De Jesus admitted the charges of driving while over the legal alcohol limit and failing to report a crash. He also admitted failing to notify vehicle licensing authorities of a change in his address.
Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu said that owing to the very high alcohol reading he was ordering a pre-sentence report before deciding on a punishment.
He imposed an interim driving ban on De Jesus until sentencing on 17 April.
