Man jailed for drink driving on Christmas Eve

A man has been jailed after drink driving on Christmas Eve whilst already being disqualified from driving.

Wayne Gould, aged 34 and of Barnards Yard, Norwich appeared at Norwich Magistrates Court on Tuesday 24 December 2024 having been arrested and charged earlier that morning. He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, disqualified from driving for a further 36 months and ordered to pay an £154 victim surcharge.

The sentence follows an incident at around 1.10am on Christmas Eve when a Volvo V40, driven by Gould, was seen to pull out of Wilberforce Road, Norwich at speed, narrowly avoiding a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. This was witnessed by police officers who proceeded to turn around and follow the car which was travelling towards the city centre.

Officers stopped the vehicle and Gould provided a positive roadside breath test, blowing 87ugs. The legal limit is 35. He was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Driving licence checks revealed that he had been previously sentenced in November 2024 for other driving offences and was disqualified from driving and therefore had no valid insurance. He was further arrested for both offences and taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

Gould failed to provide an evidential breath sample in custody and was subsequently charged with failing to provide, driving whilst disqualified and driving with no insurance. He was remanded into custody and appeared later the same day at Norwich Magistrates Court.

On 24 December 2024, he was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison. He has been further disqualified from driving for 36 months.

The Christmas drink and drug drive campaign is running until 1 January 2025. This year, we’re focussing on what happens to the everyday drink driver. This person might have had two or three pints at the pub after work, on a Friday night. They might have spent Saturday night at a Christmas party and are driving on Sunday morning whilst still over the limit.

Our officers will be covering the entire county, breathalysing every driver they stop. When we catch you, you could face six months imprisonment, be fined an unlimited amount and be banned from driving for at least a year.

You can find out more here.