Disqualified King's Lynn driver in court for riding on an e-scooter

A disqualified driver turned to an e-scooter for a form of transport – and was caught riding it on a Lynn road while over the drink limit.

It happened just two months after Vaidas Naseviciuias, 29, had been banned from the roads for three years for driving with excess alcohol.

However, town magistrates accepted his argument that there was a “grey area” over the use of e-scooters and did not activate a suspended sentence imposed in February.

He admitted breaching the order and pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, drink-driving and having no insurance. He banned for 40 months for each offence, the bans to run concurrently. He was also fined a total of £300 and ordered to pay £84 in costs and victim surcharge.

The court was told that Naseviciuias, of Willow Park, Lynn, was one of two males stopped by police in Wootton Road just before midnight on April 20.

He failed a roadside breath test and in custody blew 48 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

In mitigation, solicitor Courtney Webster said it was a similar offence to the February matter but different.

“The risk of Mr Naseviciuias riding a scooter is completely different to driving a car. And there was no evidence of bad driving.

“He was travelling to King’s Lynn railway station to meet his girlfriend who was getting off a late train.”

She added that it was a “very grey” area of law on e-scooters and her client felt that as he had been able to buy one from Halfords it must be fine to use.

“He was trying to do the right thing and not drive while disqualified,” said Miss Webster. “He fully accepts now it’s against the law and is selling the scooter.”

There was no separate penalty for the insurance offence.