Kettering drink-driver gave one of county's 'highest readings'

A Kettering drink-driver who gave what is believed to be one of the county’s highest alcohol readings is facing a possible prison sentence.

Rafal Paszewski was stopped by police in his silver Ford on the A43 just outside Geddington on January 16.

He was taken into custody where he gave a breathalyser reading which was more than five times the legal drink-drive limit.

The 38-year-old, of Bath Road, blew 177mcg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Paszewski appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court this week where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without insurance and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

Magistrates granted him unconditional bail until his next hearing on August 30 so a pre-sentence report could be carried out, with all options open. The maximum sentence for drink-driving is six months in prison.

Paszewski will be subject to an interim driving disqualification until he is sentenced.

He was arrested weeks after Northamptonshire Police launched their Christmas crackdown where they named every person charged with drink or drug-driving.

At the time PC Dave Lee from the Safer Roads Team said: “Anyone who doesn’t want to be included on this list, the message is simple: do not drink or drug-drive.

“It only takes one second to have a collision which can change your life or the life of an innocent bystander and their family.”

The highest alcohol reading solicitors had ever seen in Northamptonshire was in 2018 when Glyn Salisbury was arrested in Great Doddington.

He gave a police station reading of 205mcg and was jailed for 16 weeks.