A Pembroke Dock motorist who was seen slumped over the steering wheel after he’d parked in the town’s Asda car park has appeared before magistrates charged with drink-driving.

Police were called to the car park on the night of September 13 after a member of the public had seen Mykhaylo Omelchuk slumped over the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra.

“The member of the public wasn’t sure if this was because of a medical episode or if he was drunk,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“It was clearly the latter.”

Police officers carried out a roadside breath test which proved positive and Omelchuk, 39, was taken to Cardigan police station for further intoximeter tests to be carried out.

“He supplied two samples of breath but because there was a variance of more than 15 per cent, the machine rejected them and the sample wasn’t satisfactory,” said his solicitor, Michael Kelleher.

“He was asked to provide another sample, but that was also defective because the mouthpiece of the machine detected alcohol inside the room, so that was rejected again.”

Mr Kelleher said it was only with the third sample that police officers were finally able to get a firm reading of 64mcg.  The legal limit is 35.

“It’s true to say that the best procedure, after the officer had obtained two malfunctions, should have been to ask for blood or urine tests," continued the solicitor.

"But he didn’t. This is an unusual case, and my client co-operated fully with everything he was asked to do.”

Mr Kelleher went on to say that Omelchuk is a Ukrainian national, who moved to Wales 18 months ago. Whilst in the Ukraine he was employed as head of procurement at a Ukrainian port.

“He had no intention of going anywhere that night,” he said.

“He hadn’t long lost his job, he’d had an argument at home so he went out, parked in a car park, to try and sleep in his car. But someone saw him and reported him to the police.”

Omelchuk, of Front Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to driving over the drink-drive limit.

After considering the mitigation, magistrates imposed ten penalty points on Mykhalo Omelchuk’s licence. He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.