Man jailed for making death threats and drink-driving

Sunday 02 July 2023

A man who threatened to kill a work colleague, refused to give a blood sample to the police, and was caught drinking and driving three weeks later has been jailed for 15 weeks and bound over for six months.

Zaher Miah (37) was also banned from driving for three years when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

The Court was told Miah had made menacing phone calls to his colleague on 14 May this year, threatening to kill him.

The offence only came to light after he had charged with the two motoring offences.

St Helier Centenier Paul Davies prosecuting, said Miah had been stopped by police on suspicion of drink-driving in Victoria Avenue on the evening of 15 May.

He said: "His eyes were glazed and his speech was slurred and slow."

Miah was taken to police headquarters for a blood test to measure his alcohol levels, but refused to provide a sample.

"He was shouting and refusing to listen, and repeating: 'I don’t trust the police'," the Centenier said.

On 6 June, Miah filled his black Mini at a petrol station but said he had forgotten his wallet and went home to retrieve it.

When he returned he was arrested for drinking and driving.

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, pointed out that Miah had pleaded guilty to the charges at the earliest opportunity, and described him as "a 37-year-old man who went off the rails a little bit but is now back on track".

Of the threatening calls to a colleague, Advocate Baglin said: "The complainant had been bullying him in the workplace."

And of refusing to provide a blood sample, he said: "He panicked. It was an over-reaction, and he offers his apologies to the doctor."

He said Miah had been drinking on 6 June but had slept afterwards before going to the petrol station.

"He felt he was equipped to drive," the advocate said, and suggested a probation order and community service order instead of prison.

Miah had been in custody since 6 June and Advocate Baglin said: "That has been a salutary lesson."

However, Assistant Magistrate Peter Harrison said that taking the offences together a prison sentence was unavoidable.

He told Miah: "Messages threatening to kill can never be anything but serious offences, even if they are made in the heat of the moment.

"There is no justification whatsover for messages of this nature."

He added: "You were on bail for the first driving offence, and the second offence was three weeks after the first.

"That was so serious that I have to send you to prison."

The Assistant Magistrate jailed Miah for 12 weeks for failing to provide a blood sample and three weeks for drinking and driving, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

He bound him over for six months for the menacing phone calls, and ordered him to retake his driving test at the end of the three-year ban.