A MAN who told police he could not recall crashing into a parked car was found to be nearly three times the drink drive limit when he was breathalysed.

Officers were alerted by a member of the public to a suspected drink driver who was travelling through Stoke-sub-Hamdon.

When they arrived at the scene in New Road they found William Andrew Draper stood by his van and he put his hands up in the air and confessed he had been the person driving at the time.

The 37-year-old defendant, of South Street, Crewkerne, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

He admitted driving a Ford Transit van on New Road on November 11 after consuming excess alcohol.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that on the day in question a member of the public contacted the police saying they believed a drink driver was in the village of Stoke-sub-Hamdon.

“Five minutes later the van was involved in a collision with a parked vehicle and when officers arrived at the scene the defendant put his hands up and said “It was me,” she said.

Draper was arrested and taken into custody where a breath test produced a reading of 100mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35mcg of alcohol.

He told police during interview that he did not even recall having the accident due to the amount he had drunk.

Probation officer Becky Cross said the defendant worked as a self-employed bricklayer after setting up his own business four and a half months earlier.

“He is aware of the impact this offence will have on his livelihood and it could also impact on his relationship with his wife and their tenancy,” she said.

Defending solicitor Neil Priest said that Draper expressed his genuine remorse for the offence and understood the consequences that he now faced.

“It was a one-off matter which he regrets enormously, and he will suffer enormously as he needs to be able to drive his van around to get jobs,” he said.

“If he does not manage to deal with these issues around his self-employment then it will have a direct bearing on his private tenancy.”

The magistrates told Draper he had been driving with an “horrendous level of alcohol” in his system to the point where he didn’t even remember having the accident.

They banned him from driving for 24 months and also sentenced him to an eight week curfew where he must remain at his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am daily while fitted with an electronic tag.

He was also fined £346 and ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge and £85 costs.