A reckless driver is “finally” being deported to a country that borders Russia after racking up 36 convictions in 15 years - including three for drink-driving. Valentine Mitjajevs, 36, was told “Good luck in Latvia” by a judge after he rear-ended another driver while trying to flee from police.
Police had caught him dozing off after drinking while parked up by a busy A-road. Officers had to jump out of the way to prevent themselves being dragged by the car as it moved off.
Mitjajevs’ last convictions for drink-driving and dangerous driving came in 2019, when he was reported to police by a takeaway worker who said he had come in drunk to buy a kebab and driven off. In that incident he tried to outrun police and crashed his black Mercedes S350 twice - once into a parked car and then into railings at a park in Hastings, East Sussex.
Mitjajevs, of Harrow, north London, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and driving while disqualified at Kingston Crown Court and was jailed for 16 months. The court heard a breath test found he had 104 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath - three times the drink-drive limit of 35 micrograms.
He was also three times over the limit on the other two occasions he has been caught drink-driving, it was said. The court heard he has also racked up convictions for assaults on emergency workers, assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and possession of an imitation firearm in his 15 years in the UK.
At the end of his sentencing hearing Mitjajevs told the judge: “I apologise for my behaviour”. Judge Stephen John replied: “The problem is you have done this all too often before. Good luck in Latvia.”
He said Mitjajevs was “finally” to be deported “in the public interest”. The court heard that, in the latest incident, a member of the public reported Mitjajevs was at the wheel of a red Range Rover on Roehampton Lane in south London “looking unresponsive” at around 2pm on January 24 this year.
As it drove off, it collided with a 70-year-old’s vehicle, the court heard, causing it to spin around. Prosecutor Alexandra Boshell said: “She describes in her victim impact statement as being very shaken and had thoughts of what could have happened, as a pedestrian with children was nearby.”
Mitjajevs was last disqualified from driving in October 2020, when he was convicted of driving whilst disqualified from driving after the 2019 matter, and driving without insurance, the court heard.On this occasion, he was also banned from driving for 42 months.
