It turned out that the aforementioned man had driven drunk before. Since November 2010, he had also not held a driving licence.

The incident occurred on 31 May 2015. On that day, 43-year-old Robert Cz. from Legnica was driving a Ford Escort under the influence of alcohol. The fact that the aforementioned man was driving from kerb to kerb attracted the attention of two other drivers. When the accused stopped in a car park on Mazowiecka Street, the men blocked his path, preventing him from driving on. They also immediately called the police.

During the inspection, it turned out that Robert Cz. had 1.65 mg/l of alcohol in his exhaled air (3.3‰). It was established that he had previously been convicted—in August 2011—for driving a car while drunk. He was then sentenced to six months’ restriction of liberty.

Because he did not undertake community service, a substitute custodial sentence of one month and 13 days was ordered and served.

The proceedings also established that on 21 November 2010, the Legnica starosta issued an administrative decision revoking Robert Cz.’s entitlement to drive vehicles in categories A, B and T; therefore, the accused did not have a driving licence on the day of the incident.

Following the entry into force of new provisions intended to improve road safety, a new type of offence was added to the Criminal Code—driving a vehicle despite an administrative decision revoking the entitlement to drive vehicles. Since Robert Cz. drove a vehicle on 31 May 2015, he committed this new type of prohibited act and was consequently charged with this offence as well.

The aforementioned man was also charged with driving a car under the influence of alcohol after an earlier final conviction for drunk driving. This increases the criminal liability from a sentence of two years to a sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

Robert Cz. pleaded guilty to the acts of which he was accused and gave explanations. In addition to a five-year prison sentence, the accused faces a possible lifetime driving ban and a mandatory supplementary payment of at least PLN 10,000.

The case will be heard by the District Court in Legnica.

District Prosecutor’s Office in Legnica/ii