A TRIP to the shops to get some sweets for his children ended in a three year driving ban for a Chard man when he was caught over the drink drive limit after crashing his car.

Stephen Derek Pearce stopped off for lunch and a few drinks during a long journey home from Cambridge, and when he reached home he decided to pop out to get some sweets and some milk for his children.

However on the way there he lost control of his car and when breathalysed was found to be double the drink drive limit.

The 48-year-old defendant, of Holyrood Street, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil where he pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle in Chard, on August 3 after consuming excess alcohol.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that just before 7.30pm the police had a call from a member of the public saying there had been a traffic collision near Pretty Oak Farm in Chard.

“When they arrived at the scene they found a Subaru Forester vehicle in the middle of the road which had crashed,” she said.

“They found the defendant who identified himself as the driver and he then failed a roadside breath test and was arrested.”

After being taken into custody he took a further test which produced a reading of 70mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg of alcohol.

The court was told that Pearce had two previous convictions for drink driving offences in 1997 and 2011 leaving him liable to a minimum three year disqualification.

Appearing unrepresented, the defendant said that on the day in question he had been working in Cambridge and was held up during his journey with his passenger due to a motorway accident.

He said: “The roads were at a standstill and I waited a few hours, had lunch and some drinks while I was there and we got away at about 4.30pm.

“I went home and then stupidly went into the village to get some sweets for the kids and some milk.

“I only live about two miles away from the shop and crashed the car on the way and I asked someone to phone the police as I thought I was fine, but obviously I was not.”

He said he was very sorry for the offence and said that his job as supervisor for a roofing firm was now non-existent.

Alongside the driving ban the magistrates fined Pearce £438 along with £85 costs and a £43 victim surcharge.