A MAN caught more than four times the drink drive limit walked free from court yesterday.

Last night campaigners said Deputy District Judge Kamlesh Rana’s decision to give Zygmunt Kulbicki a suspended jail term and community service undermined the police’s Christmas drink-drive campaign.

The 44-year-old gave a breath reading of 154 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath when he was tested in his parked car outside the Go Outdoors store in Old Abingdon Road, South Oxford. The legal limit is 35mgs.

Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard Kulbicki, of Hollow Way, Cowley, had downed 200ml (about a third of a pint) of vodka and medicines to combat a cold.

Kulbicki, who also admitted drinking heavily the night before, had been escorted from the shop by off-duty policeman Martyn McHale for appearing “very drunk” at about 3pm on Sunday, December 6.

Cariad Eveson-Webb, prosecuting, said: “When the off-duty police officer heard the same drunk male was trying to get in the driver’s side of a vehicle he phoned for assistance. He was arrested from the driver’s seat of the car with the ignition key in his hand.”

The car valeter, who came to England from Poland three years ago, said he could not remember the incident but stated a friend must have driven his car to the store.

Stuart Matthews, defending, said: “He’s extremely sorrowful for what’s happened. He was in a state where he wasn’t really aware of what he was doing.”

He added his client had gone to the store to buy some wellies because he worked outside in the cold and wet.

He said: “He also started drinking. It’s the Polish remedy, which is also the Russian remedy, of drinking vodka.”

Kulbicki admitted being drunk in charge of his vehicle. The maximum penalty is three months’ jail.

Deputy Judge Rana sentenced him to a four week sentence, suspended for 12 months, and 200 hours community service. He was disqualified for 18 months and must pay £85 costs.

Campaign Against Drink Driving’s Carole Whittingham, whose son was killed by a drink driver, said: “This is too lenient, it would be mad to say it wasn’t. We’re sending completely the wrong message.”

Helen Mervill, of road safety charity Brake, said: “It is luck he was caught before he started his car. Higher penalties are not handed out frequently enough.”

tairs@oxfordmail.co.uk * Thirty-five motorists have been arrested this month for drink driving in Oxfordshire.