A man from Lamphey who nipped out in his car during the early hours to fetch a packet of cigarettes has admitted a drink-driving offence in court.
Thirty-eight-year-old Darren Shepherd appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to driving his Mercedes whilst over the limit on June 3.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard Jones told the court that the defendant was pulled over by police on routine patrol at around 2.30 am on Freeman’s Way in Haverfordwest, after Mr. Shepherd’s car manoeuvred a roundabout in the incorrect lane in front of the officers’ vehicle.
Mr. Shepherd was pulled over and officers could smell intoxicants on his breath. He gave a reading of 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at the police station.
Addressing magistrates directly himself, Mr. Shepherd explained that he’d been feeling a little unwell and decided to have a drink at around 10 pm, and later on had decided to go out and get some cigarettes from the garage.
“It was a genuine mistake on my part, I thought I wouldn’t be over the limit,” he said.
Magistrates told Mr. Shepherd that it turned out to be a ‘very expensive’ pack of cigarettes, before fining him £440 for the offence and disqualifying him from driving for 12 months. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £44 victim surcharge.