By Joy Watters

A POLE who drove at nearly four times the alcohol limit was yesterday told by a Dundee sheriff of his feelings about “young Polish gentlemen like yourself who have come to this country, seeking their fortune and show complete disregard for the law of the country.”

Sheriff Richard Davidson continued, “Over the years I have known a lot of Polish people or people whose parents were Polish who came to settle in central Scotland during or after the second world war.

“I always found them to be hard working, decent people. That is why it is disappointing that over the last three or four months, over and over again, I have had the misfortune of having to deal with people like you.”

Tomasz Torchela (34), Raglan Street, Dundee, admitted that on January 25, in North and West Marketgait and Hawkhill, he drove a car with excess alcohol (134 mics) and without insurance.

He previously admitted that on September 24, 2007, he drove without insurance and licence in Blackscroft.

Depute fiscal Trina Sinclair said that in the September incident, another driver had been involved in a collision with Torchela and they had exchanged details. The other driver had been given a mobile number with the name Tommy.

Later he attempted the number but found it had too many digits and was unable to make contact.

A friend of the other driver was able to find out that it was Torchela who was driving and the police were informed. Torchela had no licence at all and no insurance.

As to the drink driving, police officer on duty saw Torchela driving at speed onto the North Marketgait and swerving about just after 11pm.

He was signalled to stop and smelled of alcohol, his eyes were glazed. At police HQ he went through the intoximeter procedure, around two hours after being stopped and the level was found to be 134 mics.

Solicitor Nicola Wilcox said Torchela had been in Dundee since 2006 and worked as a labourer.

He had had an argument with his girlfriend and this had affected his judgment on his alcohol intake.

Sheriff Davidson said it all portrayed an attitude of people coming to this country to get a job and “not giving a hoot’’ about obeying the law.

He told Torchela it was amazing he could walk let alone drive, adding that as he understood it in terms of similar Polish legislation he had driven at nearly six times over the limit.

“These are the kind of circumstances in which young people die, 300 of them per year in this country as a result of people driving with excess alcohol.”

He said it was made worse as Torchela had been stopped in September and did not take a warning and had done nothing about obtaining a licence.

He told him that this time, and this time only, he would deal with him by way of fines and disqualification but warned, “Be very clear if you are caught driving during the period of the disqualification, you will face a substantial period of imprisonment.”

Torchela was fined a total of £1250 and banned for three years.