Van driver given suspended sentence after pleading guilty to drink driving

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to drink driving.

Rajinder Singh Lall, 45, of Bradville, Milton Keynes, appeared at Buckingham Magistrates Court on February 22 following an incident on the M4 on January 18.

At approximately 9.40am, police received a report of a Peugeot Boxer van being driven erratically between junctions 14 and 15. Officers managed to stop the vehicle and the driver – Lall – failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.

Last week, he pleaded guilty to drink driving and was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months and disqualified from driving for 32 months.

He was also ordered to pay £128 to victim services and £85 CPS costs.

Sgt Will Ayres said: “Despite wearing surgical masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 while arresting Lall, officers commented that he smelt strongly of alcohol when he was stopped, his eyes were blurry and he was unsteady on his feet. Clearly, he was unfit to drive.

“I cannot stress enough just how dangerous it is to get behind the wheel of a car whilst drunk. Lall was driving a commercial vehicle and was well over the legal limit to be driving – his ability to concentrate and his reaction times would have been severely impeded and his actions put the lives of other road users at risk.

“I am pleased he has been given a suspended prison sentence and a lengthy driving ban.”