Drink-driver narrowly missed crashing into house on way home from 'bottomless brunch'

Dramatic CCTV showed a young Nottingham drink-driver's car lift up off the ground as it struck a lamppost at speed and almost hit the front of a house. On the clip, Lindami Mremi’s white Fiat Punto is seen to crash at speed into the post and some chains at the front of a property in Robin’s Wood Road, Aspley.

The car suffered serious damage and more than £4,500 was needed to repair what the 23-year-old caused to the home. At the time he had just insured himself to drive a friend’s car home from a so-called bottomless brunch and thought that he would be under the legal drink-drive limit if he kept eating.

Now the defendant, of Bulwell, has been spared an immediate prison term.

Recorder Richard Davis said: “I should perhaps start off by saying do not underestimate the seriousness of drinking and driving, particularly in this season of the year. You have an awful lot of growing up to do quickly.

“You have a kid on the way you need to look after. You are clearly intelligent enough to run your own business.

“You are very lucky you did not kill someone, either yourself, your passenger or an innocent bystander. You had been out with friends having one of those bottomless brunches and you had arranged temporary insurance to drive your friend’s car which means you made a conscious decision to drive.”

Anthony Cheung, prosecuting at Nottingham Crown Court, said the offence took place in the early hours of June 17, 2023. He said the defendant had a passenger in the car with him when he decided to drive home after drinking.

The prosecutor said: “At 2.25am, a member of the public called the police to report a road traffic collision outside [outside a property in] Robin’s Wood Road, Aspley. The police arrived at the scene and detained the defendant who blew a reading of 81 (micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35). He was taken to hospital as a result of the collision and a blood test saw him give a reading of 131 when the legal limit is 80.”

Mremi, of Newmarket Road, Bulwell, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving and has no previous convictions or cautions of any kind. He also admitted a Bail Act offence when he failed to turn up at court on a previous occasion.

Dominic Shelley, mitigating, said his client “is 23, has never been in trouble before and has spent the past two months in prison on remand”. He said: “He has his whole life ahead of him.

“He borrowed a friend’s car, insured himself and decided to drive home that night. Young people think it’s OK to drink and then drive because they have had some food in between and he was under the misconception he could keep eating it would bring him below the limit.

“The video on the CCTV speaks for itself and every time I watch it, it makes me gasp with horror. He knows he is lucky he did not harm himself, his passenger or anyone else.

“His partner is pregnant, she is due in March with their first child. They have a lot of hard work ahead and the person who is going to suffer with an immediate custodial sentence is his partner.

“When mum found out about the offending she kicked him out and he was sofa surfing. But he is going back to mum’s, she is welcoming him back.”

The judge handed Mremi a 24-week jail term, suspended for 18 months, with 20 rehabilitation sessions. He also disqualified him from driving for a year and ordered him to pay £1,800 compensation at £100 per month.