One such defendant is a 26-year-old man, who was caught running a red light in the Polfermillen area of Luxembourg City in May. Not only did he ignore the traffic lights, the man was found heavily inebriated, the breathalyser test revealing a BAC of 2.35 promille.
The defendant acknowledged his error on Tuesday morning, telling the court "I'm not looking for any excuses and regret my actions. I acted irresponsibly and am aware of the consequences this could have had." Tuesday was not the first time the man had to answer to the courts. In 2017, he was caught drink driving and in 2018, he was accused of a hit-and-run.
The judge reminded him that normally, he would be facing a prison sentence due to the extremely high BAC level. The defendant is currently doing an internship in order to receive a permanent employment.
A police officer told the court about the night they witnessed the defendant's traffic offences. They were heading through Polfermillen towards Hamm and decided to stop the car because the driver had zig-zagged through a red light. The officers made use of their siren to stop the car. They also remarked that the defendant had smelt of alcohol, but was very polite in his exchange with the police.
The defence lawyer highlighted the man's current work training, which regularly shows him the consequences of alcohol, and remains close to his heart. The lawyer pointed out his client is relieved that nobody was hurt in the incident and appealed for his client to receive a driving ban, with the exception of his commute.
The prosecutor acknowledged the man's realisation that he put himself and others in danger, but nevertheless reminded the court that he was a repeat offender in terms of drink driving. She recommended a fine and a 23-month driving ban.
The verdict will be proclaimed on 4 October.
