Eye man sentenced after driving five times over alcohol limit
Martin Furze banned from driving for three years
A 41-year-old man from Worlingworth, has been banned from driving for three years following an incident on the A140 near Eye earlier this year, where he was found to be over five times the legal alcohol limit.
Martin Furze appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on 8th July, where he received a 36-month driving ban, reduced by 36 weeks upon completion of an approved course.
He was also fined £750, required to pay a £114 victim surcharge and £85 costs, totalling £949, and given a 15-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.
The event occurred on 29th March, when police were alerted by a member of the public about a grey BMW being driven erratically in Brome.
The car was reportedly swerving off the road and entering the northbound lane before continuing onto the A140.
Witnesses in a car following Furze were able to capture video footage as they updated the police on the vehicle's whereabouts, including its eventual stop in Cunningham Drive, Eye.
Officers arrived and detained Furze, who admitted to drinking alcohol and failed a roadside breath test showing 170 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
PC Richard Fall, the officer at the scene, said:
“We are extremely grateful to the occupants of the car following behind Martin Furze, not only for calling police and alerting us to his manner of driving, but for continuing to follow him and being able to direct us to where he was when I arrived."
“The video footage they captured clearly demonstrates how close Furze came to causing a collision and their vigilance allowed us to intervene before he potentially attempted to continue his journey and put more lives at risk."
“To drive with that amount of alcohol in your system is unbelievably reckless and is the highest anyone in our team has seen. It is extremely fortunate that no one was seriously hurt or killed as a consequence of Furze’s actions that day."
“This month Suffolk Police is supporting the national awareness campaign ‘Operation Spotlight’, which highlights the risks of the ‘Fatal Four’ main causes of serious or fatal collisions: drink/drug driving; speeding; using a mobile phone; and not wearing a seatbelt."
“The dangers posed by drink-driving are clearly evident in this case and our message is simple: don’t do it, it is not worth the risk.”