A man has been labelled a “tragedy waiting to happen” after being caught drink-driving twice in just four days. Amit Ladwa was more than twice the legal limit on his second offence which the court heard was part of a long-term drink problem.
Ladwa, 20, of Nicklaus Road, Rushey Mead, Leicester, was first arrested on Wednesday, November 13 last year when officers found him nearly twice the drink-drive limit in Leicester city centre’s Vaughan Way. He was charged and released but on Saturday, November 16 he came to the attention of police in Northamptonshire.
Officers were called to a petrol station in Daventry after reports of a confrontation between staff and Ladwa who was trying to steal petrol and some cigarettes. Upon arrival, police found Ladwa to be even more drunk than his first arrest – giving a reading of 79 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
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At Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Friday (January 3), the case was outlined by prosecutor Paul Bettany. He revealed that the Vaughan Way incident happened after CCTV operators noticed Ladwa’s Suzuki Swift driving erratically. After he was stopped he refused to give a sample and was placed under arrest.
Mr Bettany said: “He wasn’t co-operative at the police station but did provide a sample.”
The sample had a reading of 69 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Court was then told that in Daventry, Ladwa had asked for a packet of cigarettes and grabbed them without paying and was also trying to avoid paying for £20 worth of petrol.
Mr Bettany told the court: “The staff were trying to stop him from leaving and there was something of a confrontation. The police came and arrested him and he blew 79 microgrammes at the station.”
He revealed Ladwa had previously been convicted of failing to provide a specimen after being suspected of drink-driving in 2021, which had led to a three-year driving ban. He also had a previous conviction for driving while over the limit in 2012.
Bal Singh, representing Ladwa, said his client had a drink problem. He said: “What echoes across these offences are drink issues and substance misuse. He doesn’t remember half of it.”
Mr Singh said the problems were a long-term problem since Ladwa had discovered his partner of two years dead in her bed in 2021. He said: “That had a long-term affect on Mr Ladwa. He suffers because of that and drinking is a kind of medication for him.”
He said Ladwa, who lives with his parents and works in a Braunstone warehouse, had been to Leicester charity Turning Point for help with his drinking and substance abuse since his latest arrest. Mr Singh said: “He tells me he still needs help and once he starts drinking he can’t stop. He’s willing to do what it takes to tackle the demons in his life.”
The chair of the bench, Andrew Compton, told Ladwa: “We’re quite alarmed you’ve been caught twice in a short period of time. This is a tragedy waiting to happen. There are a number of aggravating factors including your previous convictions for similar offences.”
Ladwa, who pleaded guilty to two counts of drink-driving, one of theft from a shop and one charge of making off without paying for petrol, was given a 12-month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work and 45 days on Probation Service programmes to addresss his substance abuse and mental health problems.
He was also banned from driving for 46 months and ordered to pay £20 compensation for the stolen petrol, £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.