Sussex Police Name and Shame First Festive Drink-Drive Foes of 2025
Sussex Police have cracked down hard this Christmas, naming the first seven drink- and drug-driving offenders caught during their 2025 festive operation.
Since kicking off on 1 December, officers have swooped on around 200 motorists for dangerous driving offences across the county.
“I Didn’t Feel Drunk” Driver Wrecks Car and Faces Jail
One headline-maker is 42-year-old Richard Bamsey, who slammed his Volkswagen Golf into a barrier on Camber Road, Camber — all while insisting he “didn’t feel drunk.”
Officers found his car abandoned with airbags deployed. Bamsey, a computer industry worker, blew 45 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath — over the legal 35 microgram limit — and was uninsured.
At Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 11 December, Bamsey got a 12-month driving ban, £500 fine, court costs, and a victim surcharge.
Bigger Baddies Behind the Wheel
- Andrzej Cichon (48), Bognor Regis: 152µg breath alcohol, 12-week prison sentence suspended for 2 years, plus a 36-month ban.
- Daniel Conetta (33), Crawley carpet fitter: over the limit, handed a 12-month ban, fine, and surcharge.
- Andrew Biffen (56), Pevensey: 81µg, got 18-month ban and fine.
- Pritesh Chudasama (32), Horsham dentist: 65µg, 18-month ban and fine.
- Roselia Cueto-Matias (45), Crawley: 50µg and no MOTs, slapped with a 14-month ban and fine.
- Linas Pikturna (43), Littlehampton builder: 80µg, 20-month ban and fine.
Police Send Grim Warning: “Feeling Fine? Think Again.”
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, national roads policing lead, stressed the real damage drink- and drug-driving causes to victims and their families. Increased patrols are in full force this Christmas to protect everyone on the roads.
“The punishments are harsh: minimum 12-month driving bans, unlimited fines, possible jail time, and criminal records that tank future job chances and travel plans,” Shiner said.
“Just because you ‘feel fine’ doesn’t mean you’re under the legal limit. Alcohol sticks around in your system and can wreck your driving long after one drink.”
See anything suspicious? Call 999 or report anonymously at Crimestoppers.
