A drink-driver who was unaware that he was driving on two tyres has avoided jail.

Twenty-six-year-old Gavin Witt formerly of Belle Vue, Neyland, Pembrokeshire, but now of Hillfield Villas, Kidwelly appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and driving a motor vehicle dangerously.

Ashanti-Jane Walton prosecuting said that police officers found one of the missing tyres in Johnston at the Vine Inn.

After they stopped the car, Miss. Walton added that the defendant failed to take the keys out of the engine, before slumping in the seat and said something unintelligible.

During the earlier hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on January 7,

prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that at 2.20 am on December 21, police received a call from another driver who said they had spotted a Ford Fiesta driving between Honeyborough and Sentry Cross.

Police then received another call at 2.42 am from a witness who said the Fiesta was now being driven with just three tyres on Pope Hill.

A police officer who was out looking for the vehicle heard a scraping sound and spotted Mr. Witt driving the car down the Milford road towards Haverfordwest with just two tyres that were inflated.

The officer followed the car and caused it to stop.

Mr. Witt appeared to be drunk and was deeply slurring his words.

Police arrested the defendant, after he provided a roadside sample of 116 microgrammes of alcohol.

When he was at the police station, Mr. Witt provided an evidential sample of 94 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

After sobering up in the cells, the defendant said he could not remember anything from the previous night when he was interviewed.

Mr. Pritchard-Jones added that the defendant had had a minor collision during his journey from Neyland to Haverfordwest as there was damage to the front nearside of the car.

Photos were then shown to the court where the Fiesta was seen to have no tyres on the left side and damage from the collision.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the defendant gave a no comment interview, but said he had been out drinking in Tenby earlier in the evening.

Stuart John, defending said his client had been going through a “difficult period of his life” at the time of the incident and had turned to alcohol.

Mr. John added that the defendant was aware of the impact of his behaviour had on his family, but was now seeking help from Alcoholics Anonymous in Kidwelly.

Judge Keith Thomas told Mr. Witt that he was guilty of an exceedingly dangerous piece of driving" which had put himself and other road users at risk.

He also told the defendant that he was entirely incapable through drink.

The judge said the offending crossed the custody threshold but having regard to the sentencing guidelines, the content of the pre-sentence report, character references, and the defendant’s lack of previous convictions, he decided to give a suspended sentence.

Mr. Witt was given 12 months for dangerous driving and four months for drink-driving suspended for 18 months and they will both concurrently.

He also given a three year driving ban and told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

The defendant was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £420.