Drink driver drove wrong way down dual carriageway

A man who drove on the A14 and A1198 in the wrong direction while more than double the drink drive limit has been sentenced.

Officers were alerted to a white Volkswagen Passat driving west on the eastbound carriageway of the A14 just before 3.30am on 25 March.

The driver, Ayodeji Odukoya, was located by police travelling on the wrong side of the A1198 towards Godmanchester.

The 27-year-old of Windsor Close, St Ives, blew 96 at the roadside, more than twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath. He went on to provide an evidential reading of 86 in custody.

CCTV checks and dashcam footage received from a lorry driver revealed he had travelled between Histon and Caxton on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing vehicles coming towards him.

At Huntingdon Crown Court on Monday (15 July), Odukoya was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.

He must carry out 200 hours unpaid work and has been given a two month curfew which will be electronically monitored and means he must stay home between 7pm and 5am.

Odukoya was also disqualified from driving for four years and must take an extended re-test.

Sergeant Jamie Cooper, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: “It is sheer luck that someone wasn’t injured or killed.

“Drink and drug driving will not be tolerated on Cambridgeshire’s roads and you should expect to pay the maximum penalty if you are caught.

“I am thankful to the members of the public who quickly called us to report Odukoya’s driving. His driving not only fell far below what we would expect of a competent and careful driver, but was extremely dangerous and put lives at risk.”

Cambridgeshire Constabulary operate a confidential 24/7 hotline for drink and drug drivers on 0800 032 0845.

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