The 55-year-old man from Gjesdal made an unreserved confession when he appeared in Sandnes courthouse recently. The court concluded that the confession was strengthened by the other information in the case and referred, among other things, to the report, the explanation given to a witness and the result of the breath test.
On 20 December last year, at around 11.45 p.m., he drove a car in Vindafjord despite being under the influence of alcohol.
“He started drinking in Knapphus in Vindafjord, and drank four pints of beer before driving on in a van. After a short time he drove off the road causing material damage to the car. A breath test taken less than two hours after the drive showed that the accused had 0.69 micrograms of alcohol per liter of air, corresponding to a blood alcohol level of 1.38,” the judgment states.
The driving took place without the 55-year-old having a valid driving licence.
In an aggravating way, the court emphasized that the 55-year-old was sentenced to an unconditional prison term for driving under the influence in 2015, and that he was fined for driving with a low blood alcohol level in April last year.
“It is also significant that he has been fined four times in the past for driving without a valid driving licence, the last time last year. The driving resulted in material damage, and it was risky,” the judgment states.
In mitigation, the court placed some weight on the 55-year-old’s unreserved confession.
The punishment was unconditional imprisonment for 36 days and a fine of NOK 56,000. He was also banned from acquiring a driving license for three years and six months.