Man jailed for driving while banned after sixth impaired-driving conviction

A man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for driving three times while disqualified, twice under the influence of drugs, mbl.is reported. The Reykjanes District Court issued its ruling on October 22.

The offences took place between January and July this year. On January 1, police stopped the man on Áshamar in Hafnarfjörður. He was disqualified from driving and was not fit to drive safely because of drugs. Tests found amphetamine, cocaine and methamphetamine in his blood.

Police stopped him again on Hraunholtsbraut in Garðabær on May 4. He was again driving while disqualified and under the influence of drugs; tests found amphetamine and methamphetamine in his blood. On July 4, he drove while disqualified on Álfaskeið in Hafnarfjörður.

Sixth impaired-driving conviction

The court said this was the sixth time the man had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and the fourth time he had been convicted of driving while disqualified. He admitted the offences in court and asked for the lightest sentence permitted by law.

He received fines and temporary driving disqualifications for drug-related driving in 2012 and 2016. In 2017, he was sentenced to 30 days in prison and disqualified from driving for life for driving while disqualified and under the influence of drugs. He was convicted of similar offences in 2018 and 2023. His criminal record also includes convictions for fraud, assault, unlawful imprisonment and other offences.

The court said his record warranted a 10-month prison sentence. It also reaffirmed his lifetime driving ban and ordered him to pay 527,236 krónur in legal costs.