Drink-driver had no licence

Deniss Dmitricenko, from Skelmersdale, pleaded guilty to all three charges when he appeared at Wigan Magistrates’ Court.

The bench was told Dmitricenko, of Elswick, was just under double the legal limit for alcohol when he was stopped on Grimshaw Road.

He also admitted to officers that he did not have a driving licence, either for the UK or his native Latvia, and was not insured to be behind the wheel of the Honda Accord.

Prosecuting, Alan Bakker said: “The police were doing drink-driving checks and caused the defendant’s car to stop. He failed the roadside breath check and was arrested. They then checked the police national computer and found the car was insured to a friend.

“The defendant admitted the friend was in Bulgaria and then to his credit also confirmed he didn’t have a driving licence.”

The court heard Dmitricenko, who had an interpreter, was unsupervised in the car and had no L plates. He recorded a reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath, with the legal driving limit of 35.

Dmitricenko, who was not represented, apologised to the bench and said he did not know why he had driven. Justices fined him £554 and ordered him to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs. He also had his licence endorsed.