Vigilant staff at a McDonald's managed to spot a drink-driver coming through their drive-thru by smelling booze on him. Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard how Janos Ludvig had been out celebrating a friend's birthday when he stopped at the fast-food restaurant to get food.
The 25-year-old from Alvaston, Derby, decided to represent himself, reports DerbyshireLive, and was asked what he had to say about the offence. He stated: "Obviously I got to McDonald's and I arrived home celebrating the birthday of one of my friends when I was approached by the police officers, I'd had a few beers and I was taken to the police station.
"I realise it is a serious charge and it is going to have a big impact. I understand the police point of view, it is a serious thing, no-one should be drink-driving because it causes accidents on the roads. I have been thinking about it and whatever the sentence will be I will accept because I take responsibility for my actions."
Prosecutor Nicole Baughan said the incident took place in the early hours of September 25 in Alvaston. She said: "McDonald's drive-thru staff had a driver come to the window who they suspected was over the limit.
"They alerted who police who followed his vehicle until it came to a stop at his own property. When he got out of the vehicle he was asked to provide a roadside breath test and blew 48 (micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35). In custody he provided a second evidential sample of 44."
Ludvig, of Baker Street, has no previous convictions pleaded guilty to one count of drink-driving.. Magistrate Margaret Tate, chair of the bench, fined him £275 and ordered him to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £110 victim surcharge. He has also been disqualified from driving for a year.
