Christmas drink costs man $4,700

A few drinks of puncheon at a Christmas afterwork lime cost a San Fernando City Corporation labourer a $4,700 fine yesterday. Ramesh Durgapersad, 39, admitted he was driving under the influence of  alcohol.
Pleading for leniency, however, he promised San Fernando Traffic Court Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan he “done with rum from today.”

He was arrested on Tuesday on Southern Main Road, Vistabella, after police detected a strong scent of alcohol on his breath when they stopped him during a routine traffic exercise. He was taken to the police station where he failed both breathalyser tests. He exceeded the limit by 51 microgrammes. He told the magistrate he had two children and a wife to care for as well as a $1,500 rent to pay. He said: “After work everybody put up and buy a l’il small drink, a bottle of puncheon. I had about five or six drinks. It was a Christmas drink. Ah sorry for that.” The magistrate replied: “It is good you did not have a Christmas accident.”

Durgapersad promised he would not do it again but Rambachan warned him if he appeared a second time he would spend five years in jail. Rambachan said he was worried the next thing he would do was drive under the influence with his wife and children in the car. Rambachan told him failure to pay the fine in two weeks would result in him serving nine months in jail.