Drink driver had daughter, 3, in car

A police patrol had to brake suddenly after Maciej Olszak’s Volkswagen Passat sped out of a side road onto Wellington Road in Hastings, ignoring give way markings, shortly before midday on December 13.

Olszak then forced a taxi to make an emergency stop by pulling in front of it before officers stopped the Volkswagen. The 39-year-old had 96 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of his breath - almost three times the 35 microgrammes legal limit. He had already served a ban for drink-driving imposed in 2007 and did not have insurance.

When officers stopped the car they discovered Olszak’s three-year-old daughter was sitting on the back seat. Olszak, of London Road, St Leonards, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving without insurance when he appeared at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on March 3. He was banned from driving for five years, given a 14-week suspended prison sentence, ordered to do 200 hours of community service and told to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Chief inspector Phil Nicholas, of Surrey and Sussex roads policing unit, said: “We have said time and time again that drink-drivers put not only themselves at risk but anyone that travels with them and anyone else on the roads.

“Olszak’s driving was appalling and put his own daughter at considerable risk of being in an accident. Thankfully no one was hurt before he was arrested.”

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