Jailed for Drunk Driving

A Chilmark man was convicted of his fourth drunken driving offense and sentenced to 18 months in jail earlier this month.

William C. Elliston, 25, was arrested July 25 in the Lambert’s Cove area of West Tisbury on charges of drunken driving, fourth offense, using a motor vehicle without authority and operating a motor vehicle with a license suspended for previous drunken driving.

He was convicted of drunken driving and the two other charges Oct. 31 after a bench trial in Edgartown district court before the Hon. H. Gregory Williams. In the second part of the case, it was established that Mr. Elliston had three previous drunken driving offenses.

According to court records, Mr. Elliston had either been found guilty or admitted to sufficient facts on drunken driving charges stemming from a 2004 arrest in Vineyard Haven and two arrests in 2007, one in Chilmark and another in Oak Bluffs.

During the Nov. 3 sentencing, the judge ordered Mr. Elliston to serve 18 months of a 30-month house of corrections sentence, with the balance suspended until November 2015. He was also given a 60-day sentence on the suspended license charge that will run concurrently. He was given credit for having served 43 days in jail.