A MAN has been jailed after he was caught drink-driving for the third time in two years.

Arunas Abromavicius was already a banned drink-driver when police officers spotted him driving a silver Volkswagen Golf erratically.

The 30-year-old was stopped in Hillsborough Road, Bognor, at 2am last Tuesday.

Now he has been sent to prison after magistrates were told he had already been convicted of drink-driving in both 2012 and 2013.

Abromavicius was first convicted in June 2012 after he was stopped by police on May 8 that year in an uninsured vehicle while driving drunk and without a licence.

He was disqualified from driving for 17 months but, on August 17, 2013, he was caught drink-driving again after being pulled over by police on the A259 in Bosham while behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Touran.

When he was breathalysed officers discovered he was more than three times the drink-drive limit, was driving without insurance, was already a banned drink-driver and was in a car he had taken without the owner's consent.

Magistrates banned him from driving again – this time for four years – and gave him a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months when he appeared in court on September 17, 2013.

Abromavicius, of Annandale Avenue, Bognor, was still the subject of that suspended sentence when he was arrested last Tuesday and charged with drink-driving, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

When he appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court the next day, he admitted all the charges.

He was jailed for 15 weeks, banned from driving for 45 months and ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge.

Superintendent Jane Derrick, the head of roads policing in Sussex and Surrey, said: “Despite the fact Abromavicius does not have a licence and has been banned from driving, he has continued to get behind the wheel, which is a blatant disregard for the criminal justice system.

“Hopefully his jail sentence will convince him that his selfish actions do have consequences for him as well as the other road-users whose lives he puts in danger when he drinks and drives.

“Drink-driving is totally unacceptable and we will take action against anyone who we are told is on the roads while under the influence.”

People in Sussex can text officers on 65999 with the details of people they suspect of drink or drug driving or visit www.operationcrackdown.co.uk.

  • Crackdown

A total of six people have now been charged with offences as part of Sussex Police's Christmas crackdown on drink and drug-driving.

Stephen Brook, 30, was arrested at 3.50am on Thursday after he ignored a Give Way sign in Edward Street, Brighton, and was stopped by police.

Brook, of Coleman Street, Brighton, was charged with drink-driving and was released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court on February 10.

For the first time, the December campaign is being run jointly by Sussex Police and Surrey Police alongside Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, Drive Smart in Surrey and the independent charity Crimestoppers.

As part of Operation Dragonfly – Sussex Police's year-round strategy to remove drink and drug-drivers from the streets – road policing unit officers are on dedicated patrols looking for offenders.

Teams will also respond to tip-offs from members of the public who see someone they know has been drinking getting into a car to drive.

The names of all those charged are being proactively published.

To keep up to date with officers looking for drink drivers, follow #opdragonfly on Twitter.

If you know someone is driving while over the limit or after taking drugs call 999.