A suspected drink-driver has been jailed for 16 weeks after refusing to provide a breath or blood sample when police arrested him.

Przemyslaw Roman Kozak, of Ballakermeen Close, was in a car with a friend which crashed into five parked vehicles, but both men refused to say who was driving.

Kozak pleaded guilty to refusing to provide a blood sample and also admitted failing to provide information on the driver of a vehicle.

He was disqualified from driving for six years and must retake his test at the end of the ban.

We previously reported how, on September 21 last year, police reported seeing Kozak’s BMW X5 ’skid out into the centre of Victoria Road’ from the Palace Road junction, something which he denied in court.

They followed the car into Mona Drive, where the driver ignored a no entry sign, but then lost sight of the vehicle.

The car was found abandoned on Palace Road a few minutes later, having crashed into five parked cars, but a search using police dogs found Kozak and another man, Ksawery Gerard Kalwasinski, hiding in bushes nearby.

Both refused to say who had been driving the car, though Kozak later admitted in court that it had been him.

Kalwasinski refused to provide a breath sample. Meanwhile Kozak was taken to Noble’s Hospital for treatment but also refused to provide a sample either of blood or breath.

At a previous court appearance, Kalwasinski was given a formal caution for failing to provide a breath specimen.

Defending Kozak in court, with an interpreter present, advocate Stephen Wood said: ’My client was initially requested to blow into the breathalyser but he asked to speak to an advocate. He wasn’t able to at the hospital and he didn’t have an interpreter. The probation report says he has a good understanding of English but in my submission it would not have been good enough to understand the nature of legal proceedings.

’But he accepts the position and holds his hands up. He was in hospital. The blood sample was requested but he’s a Jehovah’s Witness.

’He would say he tried to explain, but he was without an interpreter. He considered a human rights defence but ultimately conceded he was responsible.

’He had consumed alcohol and he was the driver.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ’You clearly were intoxicated. The fact you collided with five parked cars is evidence of your intoxication.

’During your time in custody reflect on your offending and ensure that you don’t drink and drive in future.’