Court / Scalloway drink-driver almost drove into two-year-old child while five times over limit

A DRINK-driver who only avoided hitting a pram with a two-year-old child in it through “good fortune” has been remanded in custody.

Jaroslaw Jaworski hit four cars along Scalloway’s Main Street and Port Arthur road on Wednesday while more than five times the drink driving limit.

And a pedestrian had to take “evasive action” to stop Jaworski from hitting the pram they were pushing – which contained a two-year-old child – as he mounted the kerb.

There was very nearly a “fatal outcome”, Lerwick Sheriff Court heard.

Jaworski, from Port Arthur, Scalloway, admitted driving with 121 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath on Wednesday when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court from custody today (Thursday).

He pleaded guilty to driving dangerously during the incident, repeatedly mounting the kerb, skidding, almost hitting the pedestrian and their pram and scraping against three cars before colliding with a fourth.

The 64-year-old also admitted driving without insurance or a licence.

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It was “simply a matter of good fortune that there wasn’t a fatal outcome”, procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told the court.

No narration of the incident was given at Thursday’s custody appearance, with defence agent Tommy Allan asking for Jaworski’s sentencing to be deferred for background reports.

Allan also asked for Jaworski to be bailed until his next appearance.

But Mackenzie said the crown opposed this, and said Jaworski had been sentenced for a similar drink-driving offence in 2018.

The fiscal asked for the court to confiscate the vehicle Jaworski was using during the incident, and said bail should not be allowed to “protect public safety”.

“He very nearly struck a pedestrian pushing a pram with a two-year-old child in it,” Mackenzie said.

“He was significantly under the influence of alcohol.”

Allan said the car Jaworski was driving actually belonged to his partner, and argued that Jaworski would not have the use of it if it was not confiscated because he would be banned from driving anyway.

The solicitor argued Jaworski had not been given a custodial sentence for his 2018 conviction, and had “not faced being in jail before”.

Sheriff Eric Peterson deferred sentencing on Jaworski for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report, and banned him from driving in the interim.

He also confiscated the vehicle until a decision could be taken on its forfeiture.

And he refused Jaworski’s application for bail, ordering him to be remanded in custody. Allan intimated he would be appealing the refusal.

Jaworski will return for sentencing on 11 June.