Staff at a branch of car repair chain Kwik Fit have been praised for alerting police to a customer who was drunk when he dropped his car off for maintenance.
After the man dropped his BMW off at the workshop staff noticed he seemed unsteady on his feet and watched as he then tumbled into a wall. He later fell asleep.
Sanjay Dhari had driven his BMW to the Kwik Fit branch at Great Western Way in Swindon during the morning rush hour.
Police attended and attempted to breathalyse him at the scene but due to Dhari’s level of intoxication he couldn’t complete the test, Swindon Magistrates Court was told.
Dhari was arrested at the site for failing to provide a specimen, and taken into custody, where he subsequently was tested again and was found to have nearly five times the legal limit of alcohol in his breath.
After Dhari, 46, of Cypress Grove, Swindon, pleaded guilty to drink driving, magistrates sentenced him to 18 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, and banned him from driving for three years.
Dhari was also issued with a nine month alcohol treatment requirement.
PC Daniel Laurie, from Wiltshire’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “To be this intoxicated and in charge of a vehicle on our busy roads during rush hour is quite frankly absolutely disgraceful. It’s selfish, and dangerous, and puts the lives of innocent road users at risk. I am pleased a suspended sentence and lengthy driving ban has been given out by the courts.”
