A ‘silly set of circumstances’ led to a drink-driving university graduate taking to the roads of Haverfordwest.

Danny Boy Gatland, of Ford Road, Arundel, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday, September 24.

Dennis Davies, prosecuting, told the court that Gatland, 29, was seen getting into his Ford Fiesta and driving away in the early hours of September 5 in Haverfordwest.

He was later seen attempting a three-point-turn, then revving the car loudly as he drove off.

Police found the car unattended in Snowdrop Lane, and discovered Gatland near the entrance to Portfield Avenue.

Mr Davies said: “He was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slurred. He was arrested and taken to the police station on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol.”

Gatland was found to have 84mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than double the legal limit of 35mg.

David Elvy, defending, said Gatland, a mechanical engineering graduate, had not intended to drive when he went out drinking with friends.

He had admitted the offence to police officers, despite them not seeing him driving.

“He tells me he has very little recollection of what happened.

“People he spoke to afterwards told him that one moment he seemed to be fine and the next he was significantly more drunk than he was previously.”

Mr Elvy added: “He fully accepts that he drank to excess, to the extent he can only assume he had the idea to drive in his drunken state.”

The chairman of the bench said: “Silly, silly, silly boy, it was a silly set of circumstances.”

Gatland was ordered to pay £237 in a fine, costs and surcharge.

He was banned from driving for 17 months.