Bodycam footage shows the moment Andre Ali-Baba was breathalysed and then arrested in Hutton Drive on the evening of December 22, 2024.
Officers from the Brentwood Community Policing Team were on patrol where they spotted a car partially blocking the road.
As they pulled up to ask the driver to move into a better position, they noticed the engine was still running
They watched as the man behind the wheel sipped a beer from a Stella Artois pint glass.
Officers challenged the man, who told them he had only consumed “a sip” of beer – but then failed a roadside breath test.
Andre, 25, of Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire was arrested and charged with drink driving.
Appearing at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 20 February, he was banned from driving for 14 months and ordered to pay £256 in fines and court costs.
A total of 339 people were arrested in Essex for drink or drug driving-related offences over the Christmas period during a month-long focus on drink driving.
Adam Pipe, head of our Roads Policing Unit, said: “Driving under the influence means motorists take risks every time they get behind the wheel of a car.
“They put the lives of themselves and others at risk.
“It might seem an obvious point to make, but cases such as this prove the extent of the challenge we face in getting this simple message to cut through.
“Drink and drug driving ruins the lives of individuals and communities and it is completely avoidable.
“We continue to do all we can to tackle drink driving, but we’d ask the public to support us.
“If you know of, or suspect someone of drink or drug driving, let us know.
“We’ll use that information to direct our patrols to identified ‘hotspots’, to catch offenders and take them off our roads.”
