A drink-driver’s ‘desperate attempt' to avoid conviction has cost him £2,230.

Thomas Alexander Glenday of Hollow Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, stood trial at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Monday, September 17.

He was found guilty of driving a BMW X5 on the A487 at St Davids on the morning of July 31, while over the legal alcohol limit.

The court heard that Glenday’s mother called the police because she was concerned about his welfare, adding that he had driven off in an agitated state to speak to his wife and had threatened to kill himself.

Abul Hussain, prosecuting, said police caught up with Glenday, 32, at Nine Wells caravan site, after passing him on the A487 with his wife in the passenger seat.

The officer noticed a smell of alcohol on his breath, and stated his eyes were glazed and he was unsteady on his feet.

A roadside breath test was positive, and Glenday was found to have 61mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when taken to Haverfordwest police station, the legal limit is 35mg.

Richard Griffiths, defending, argued that the police had breached the code of practice at the station, as they should have provided Glenday with an appropriate adult during the procedure, claiming he was in a vulnerable state at the time.

District Judge Martin Brown heard that Glenday had recently found out that his wife was cheating on him, and had told officers that the affair had left him feeling ‘low and drained’.

The industrial engineer, who was breathalysed at 9.15am, admitted drinking eight pints the previous night.

Judge Brown said he did not accept Glenday was ‘vulnerable in accordance with the definition’, and there was no evidence he had difficulty understanding the procedure or communicating effectively.

He found him guilty and banned him from driving for 16 months.

“It’s clear to me that this is a desperate attempt on behalf of the defendant to avoid the full process of the law.

“I do not believe for one minute that he was at any time a person suffering discrimination or unfairness due to the absence of an appropriate adult.”

He added: “This was in my opinion a rather hopeless and poor attempt to evade what, in my view, was the justice of this case.”

Glenday was fined £1,300 and ordered to pay £800 court costs and a £130 surcharge.