“Danger to the public” arrested behind wheel with near-coma levels of alcohol
©Monaco Tribune
A 33-year old Filipino woman, who lives in Beausoleil, appeared before Monaco’s magistrates on 7 January 2025.
The events date back to the night of 9 July 2024, when, at around 2.40 am, she was stopped while driving her Volkswagen with a puncture. The police soon noticed clear signs of drunkenness. Unable to blow into the breathalyser, she was taken to the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG), where a blood test revealed a blood alcohol level of 2.44 grammes per litre. As a reminder, the legal limit for drivers is 0.5g of alcohol per litre of blood, or 0.25mg per litre of exhaled air.
“Incredibly severe intoxication”
In his summing up, the presiding magistrate stressed the seriousness of the case, saying: “3 grammes is coma level.” He also described the defendant’s blood alcohol level as ‘incredibly severe intoxication.”
In an effort to understand the defendant’s reasons, he asked: “Why did you get back behind the wheel in such a state?” The young woman, aided by an interpreter, explained: “I had promised my friend I would take her home.” She said that she was also carrying some of her friend’s belongings. The friend’s home is in the Moneghetti district, in Monaco.
The presiding magistrate was however sceptical about these explanations, pointing out how illogical it was to use a vehicle for a journey that was absolutely possible on foot. He added in a firm tone: “You are a danger to the public. You could have killed your friend.”
The young woman, who had no prior convictions, expressed regrets on the stand: “I wasn’t thinking. I realise I could have killed everyone on the road.”
The public prosecutor stated: “Fortunately, no serious harm was done,” and requested a driving ban in the Principality and a fine of between 500 and 1,000 euros.
The court found the young woman guilty. She was handed a one-month suspended prison sentence, fined 500 euros and banned from driving in the Principality for a year.