AN Ilminster man who was nearly three times over the drink drive limit when he was caught at the wheel of his car has been banned from driving for two years.

Alexsandrs Krivuscenko had been drinking whisky when he went out to meet someone and was spotted by police driving without any insurance.

When they pulled his vehicle over and spoke to him they could smell alcohol on him and he failed a roadside breath test.

The 41-year-old defendant, of Carnival Close, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, without a licence and without insurance when he appeared before District Judge Angela Brereton, sitting at Yeovil.

The court heard that police were on duty near Krivuscenko’s address when they saw him driving a Honda vehicle which gave an alert for having no insurance.

“They followed it and found it in a parking space and the defendant was identified as the driver,” said prosecutor Emma Lenanton.

“They spoke with him and could smell alcohol on his breath and he only had a Latvian licence that had expired.”

He was arrested at the roadside and at the police station was breathalysed two hours later and had a reading of 95mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol.

Sam Morton, defending, said that his client had been drinking whisky that night and also had an arrangement to meet someone.

“He stupidly went and drove his car and was on the way back home when he was spotted by the police driving without insurance, he said.

Alongside the disqualification, Krivuscenko was also sentenced to a community order with 120 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £95 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.