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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A 76-year-old man is "distraught" after four drunken-driving arrests in March and plans to plead guilty, his attorney said.
Val Bielecki's binge was tied to a breakup with his girlfriend and frozen pipes at his home, Gary Gale said. "That's what started the mood of depression," Gale said. "He eventually went off the deep end."
Bielecki plans to plead guilty, possibly at the next court hearing, April 25, his attorney said. "He's absolutely distraught at the damage or possible injury he could have caused. He accepts full responsibility for what happened," Gale said.
Bielecki was arrested four times from March 3 to March 21. In one incident, he was passed out in his Jeep with the key in the ignition, police said.
In another incident, police said they found his vehicle stuck in a snowbank.
The last arrest came after Gale convinced a judge that Bielecki was going directly into a rehabilitation program that morning at Ogden Regional Hospital. He was later arrested by Weber State University police.
Bielecki is being held without bail at the Weber County jail. His attorney said he has a long record of public service. "The best thing this town could do is to get him for a year of community service. ... He never wants to drink again," Gale said.
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Information from: Standard-Examiner
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
