Police found a vodka bottle in 49 year-old Dominik Niedzwiadk’s bag when they stopped his damaged bus, which had struck parked cars, after the alarm was raised by one of his supervisors.
He pleaded guilty to driving the red 12 tonne double-decker with 161 micrograms of alcohol in his breath - the legal limit is 35.
Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard Niedzwiadk, of Bridges Court, Beldam Way, Hounslow was arrested in May Road, Twickenham on February 19.
There were no passengers onboard the service when Niedzwiadk hit the unoccupied vehicles at approximately 10.30pm, three hours after coming on duty.
“We have been discussing your case for some time,” bench Chairwoman Pamela Stocks told Niedzwiadk.
“That is because the reading of alcohol in your breath on the night of this incident is off the scale on our sentencing guidelines.
“We have taken into account you were a public service vehicle licensed bus driver and that there was a collision, you actually hit another two vehicles.
“We thought it was lucky it was vehicles you hit and not people or vehicles with people in them.
“Your offence goes straight into the custody bracket.”
Prosecutor Aaron McCallister told the court: “Police got a call from a manager with London United Busways to a report one of their drivers had caused damage to a bus.
“When the officers arrived they saw damage to the front of the bus and the driver appeared to be drunk. He smelled of alcohol and was unable to stand up by himself.
“Police had also received a report from a member of the public that a bus had hit parked vehicles.
“At the police station the defendant said he remembered hitting something, but did not know what it was.”
Niedzwiadk’s lawyer Ania Grudzinska said: “He knows he needs to address his alcohol issues and this incident has been a reality check for him.
“He is genuinely remorseful for what he has done and has started to address his issues.
“He is no longer employed as a bus driver and does not intend to be employed as one again.
“He has worked extremely hard and has done nothing wrong for many years, serving an important public role.”
Niedzwiadk received six months imprisonment, suspended for twelve months and was disqualified from driving for three years.
He was ordered to complete 150 hours community service work and must observe an electronically-tagged home curfew for three months between 8pm and 8am.
The court also ordered Niedzwiadk to comply with twenty days of Probation Service-ordered rehabilitation and pay £85 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.
“We had a look at you and your circumstances and read the pre-sentence report and listened to the representations of your legal representative,” Ms Stocks told the first-time offender.
“We have taken into account you have no previous convictions and that you are genuinely remorseful and in the past have displayed exemplary conduct.
“We feel there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and that you have taken the steps to address your behaviour and that you had difficulties with depression."
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