A LEARNER driver who did a one handed U-turn while talking on a mobile phone when he came up against a road closure in Chard was then found to be more than double the drink drive limit.

Police who were at the scene in Beeching Close helping to deal with a fire gestured to Pawel Cymerman to pull over but he didn’t understand what they were asking him to do.

Eventually the defendant, who was also not wearing a seatbelt, stopped and after the police discovered he had no insurance for the car asked him to take a roadside breath test which he failed.

The 29-year-old defendant, of Manor Close, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

He pleaded guilty that on August 18 at Chard he drove a Mitsubishi Charisma on Beeching Road after consuming excess alcohol. He also admitted a further allegation of driving without insurance.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that on August 18 road closures were in place on Beeching Close due to a large commercial fire at EMR Chard scrapyard.

An officer saw the defendant drive past in a vehicle and noted the driver was not wearing a seatbelt and the boot was open with some scrap metal and general rubbish strapped into it.

“There was a recycling centre at the bottom of Beeching Close but it was closed due to the fire and Cymerman then manoeuvred the vehicle and turned it round in the middle of the road,” she said.

“The officer could see he was holding a mobile phone to his ear so he pointed to the driver indicating for him to stop but the male didn’t appear to understand the request.

“After gesturing a number of times the defendant did stop and police checks revealed the only insured person for the vehicle was his mother.

“Cymerman also only had a provisional licence and was driving on his own without supervision, and when a roadside breath test was conducted it was positive and he was arrested.”

After being taken to the police station the defendant was breathalysed a second time and produced a reading of 78mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol.

Speaking via an interpreter, Cymerman said he was really sorry for the offence and wanted to apologise for what he did.

“Earlier that day I drank a bottle of vodka because I had just moved house,” he said.

“I was in a hurry and did not think that I should have waited before I drove because I had been drinking.

Probation officer Joe Harper said that the defendant had been drinking at 10am with a friend to celebrate moving house and then made the foolish decision to drive and take some rubbish to the tip.

“However there was a fire and he had to turn around and now takes full responsibility for the offences,” he said.

“Even though he felt OK he understands he should not have driven and understands the risks of not having a seatbelt on and using a mobile phone too.

“Clearly it was impulsive behaviour but he just wanted to get the job finished.”

The magistrates banned Cymerman from driving for 20 months and sentenced him to a 12 month community order with a requirement to carry out 60 hours unpaid work. Costs of £85 and an £85 victim surcharge were also imposed.