'Hard-working' Leeds mechanic drunkenly crashed boss's BMW during police chase

A binge-drinking car mechanic who crashed his boss’s high-powered BMW after a police chase was found to be nearly four times over the drink-drive limit at the roadside.
By Nick Frame
Published 9th Mar 2023, 11:45 BST
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Renatas Jurevicius, who was already serving a ban for drink driving, lost control of the powerful 520M Sport on Malvern Street, Beeston on August 14 last year.

When police arrested him they noticed he was slurring and unsteady on his feet. They noticed empty bottles of booze in the car and gave him a breath test. He blew 132 mgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath. The legal limit is 35 mgs.

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Jurevicius was taken to hospital after injuring his head when it struck the windscreen on impact. The 26-year-old was then taken to Elland Road Police Station, where he blew 89 mcgs – taken as the official reading.

Jurevicius was nearly four times over the limit on his first roadside breath test.Jurevicius was nearly four times over the limit on his first roadside breath test.
Jurevicius was nearly four times over the limit on his first roadside breath test.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Eleanor Durdy said his employer had gone away with his family for the weekend and trusted Jurevicius with the keys, but did not give him permission to take the car.

Jurevicius admitted what he had done during his police interview, later pleading guilty to aggravated vehicle taking, driving while banned and being over the drink-drive limit.

He had only appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court three months prior where he was banned for 23 months for being nearly three times over the legal limit. While on bail for the August crash, he was caught driving an Audi A3 in October 2022 in Leeds, for which he received 100 hours of community service.

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Mitigating, Theresa Clark said Jurevicius had managed to obtain further employment as a mechanic, but admitted: “He works six days a week but seems to enjoy his day off more than he should. His binge drinking is an issue.”

The judge, Recorder Anthony Hawks handed him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and gave him a new three-year driving ban, for which he will need to sit an extended retest to get his licence back.

He said: “You ought to be locked up. You have already built up an appalling record in relation to motor vehicles. You were drunk. The net result was a significant police chase during which you were driving dangerously. It’s fortunate that you did not kill somebody or kill yourself.”