A further 20 motorists arrested during second week of annual winter drink and drug driving campaign

Northamptonshire Police is again naming drivers charged with drink and drug driving as part of its annual campaign to tackle offending over the festive season.  

As part of the four-week crackdown those caught driving over the legal limit will be publicly named on the Northamptonshire Police website and social media. This is a hard-line approach the Force has taken over recent years.

Between December 1 and January 2, officers will be joining colleagues from across England and Wales for this year’s National Police Chiefs’ Council’s month-long crackdown – Operation Limit – which aims to keep our roads safer over the festive period.

The main aim of the campaign is to educate road users on the consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, however anyone found to be over the limit will face the full force of the law.

Officers will be carrying out extra patrols along with proactive operations and roadside checks. These will be held at different times, including early morning operations, when drivers could still be impaired from celebrations the night before.

During last year’s campaign, 97 road users were charged with driving while over the alcohol limit and 37 arrested for failing a roadside drug test. This compared to 99 and 18 respectively for the same period in 2022.

Since the campaign started on Sunday (December 1) officers have arrested 48 drivers. Of those, 36 were on suspicion of driving while over the prescribed limit for alcohol, 12 while unfit through drugs and one on suspicion of drink and drug driving.

Sunday, December 8:

• Arinze Chigbo Chukwudum, aged 36, of School Walk, Wellingborough, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 2.

• A 33-year-old man from Higham Ferrers was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

• A 41-year-old man from Daventry was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

• Zoltan Gomora, aged 62, of Pickering Court, Corby, was charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 2.

• Maxim Cernobrisov, aged 29, of South Avenue, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, was charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 2.

Monday, December 9:

• Philip Mugurwa Bobvu, aged 41, of Windsor Road, Wellingborough, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 2.

• Alex Koech, aged 35, of Yewtree Court, Northampton, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 2.

• A 26-year-old man from Nottingham was charged with driving whilst unfit through drugs. He was due to appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 11.

Thursday, December 12:

• Reece Howe, aged 20, of Graveley Street, Rushden, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Friday, January 3.

• A 23-year-old woman from Wellingborough was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. She will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 6.

Friday, December 13:

• A 24-year-old man from Luton was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

• Ionut Jianu, aged 36, of Millside Close, Northampton, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 6.

Saturday, December 14:

• Sipo Simbai Kapanga, aged 53, of Coppice Drive, Northampton, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, January 7.

• Malkeet Singh, aged 21, of Adelaide Avenue, West Bromwich, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 6.

• Connor Carmichael, aged 19, of no fixed address, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, January 6.

• A 27-year-old man from Peterborough was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit. He has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

• Michael Simpson, aged 33, of Lower Hester Street, Northampton, was charged with driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit. He will appear before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, January 7.

Court results:

• A 43-year-old man from Alkmaar in the Netherlands was disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined £346 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and £184 victim surcharge when he appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, December 9.

The man was arrested after his silver BMW 3 Series was stopped by police in Dumble Close, Corby, shortly before 12.50am on Sunday, December 8, and was subsequently charged after providing a breath sample of 73 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

At court he pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit as well as the offence of obstructing/resisting a constable in the execution of his duty.

• A 34-year-old man from Northampton pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit, driving while disqualified and without third party insurance when he appeared Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 12.

Vasile Gorgan, of Lindsay Avenue, Northampton, was further disqualified from driving for 36 months, given a community order and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity. He must also pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge.

Gorgan, who provided an evidential reading of 55 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, was arrested after the red Suzuki Celerio car he was driving was involved in a damage-only collision at the roundabout junction of the A43, A6003, and Rockingham Road in Kettering, at about 5pm on Wednesday, December 11.

• A 60-year-old man from Corby pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle when the alcohol level was above the limit when he appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, December 14.

Barry Agnew, of Fotheringhay Road, was disqualified from driving for 24 months, given a community order and ordered to complete 75 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £85 court costs and £114 victim surcharge.

Agnew was arrested and subsequently charged after providing an evidential reading of 95 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, after he was witnessed driving a white BMW M Sport in Welland Vale Road, Corby, shortly before 7.50pm on Thursday, December 12.

To report suspected drink or drug driving in confidence, call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. In an emergency when life is in immediate danger, always call 999. Or for more information visit www.northants.police.uk/dontdrinkdrive.