Man who bragged about impaired driving sentenced to jail
By Delon Shurtz on May 12, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com
A Lethbridge man who bragged to police he’s a great drunk driver, will spend the next several weeks behind bars.
Richard Wayne Daye pleaded guilty Thursday in Lethbridge provincial court to one count of impaired driving, and was sentenced to three months in jail.
Court was told the man’s blood-alcohol readings were more than three times over the legal limit, and when he was booked into the cells at the police station, he boasted, “I am a fantastic impaired driver, I have been doing it for 27 years”.
At about 10 p.m. on September 25, 2020, a person called police about a possible impaired driver at the intersection of 5 Avenue and Stafford Dr. North Lethbridge. The civilian told police he saw a black truck stopped at the intersection with its hazard lights on, and he stopped to see if the driver needed help. While speaking to Daye he noted the smell of alcohol on his breath and slurred speech, and could see he was swaying slightly.
Daye said he had just driven down from Ft. Saskatchewan and his truck quit running at that intersection, but didn’t need any assistance. The witness drove a short distance away and phoned the police, who arrived shortly afterward and initiated a traffic stop.
Police also detected the smell of alcohol on Daye’s breath, noted his slurred speech and difficulty forming words, and could tell he was visibly intoxicated.
During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Crown Prosecutor Bruce Ainscough told court Daye was convicted of impaired driving in March 2002, May 2010 and August 2014. He was fined $750 and $1,300 respectively for the first two convictions, and sentenced to 90 days in jail for the third offence.
Defence told court Daye, who lost his job because of COVID-19, struggles with an alcohol addiction.
In addition to his jail sentence, Daye is also prohibited from driving for two years.
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no one was hurt, and maybe he is a better driver while drunk – we sure have a lot of woeful drivers around that are presumably sober. however, the greater issue here is that he is a multiple offender breaking the same law. he has been dealt with leniently in the past, and obviously, to no positive effect. and what does get for a 4th offence?! almost another sentence that amounts to nothingness. it neither enough to sway his behaviour, nor does it act as a deterrent for others. classic injustice, only backwards: the injustice is to the population at large.