A drunken pensioner from Wrexham who was found slumped at the wheel of his vehicle while attempting to enter a car wash has been banned from driving for four years.
Joseph Antloysami Soosaipillai, 75, was found unconscious by police after he had been spotted driving his Mercedes erratically in the car park of Asda in Wrexham on November 4.
Concerned members of the public had flagged down officers after seeing Soosaipillai try to drive his car into the store's car wash.
Justin Espie, prosecuting at Wrexham Magistrates Court, said when officers woke up the pensioner and opened the door to his car "they were hit by a wave of alcohol" and Soosaipillai was slurring his words.
On arrest he recorded a reading of 223 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrammes.
Bethan Jones, defending, said Soosaipillai, of Glan Gors, Caia Park, refuted the results and claimed it was a reaction to medication not alcohol that had caused the incident and that any alcohol in his system must have been there from the previous evening.
She added Soosaipillai, who appeared in court on crutches and spoke through an interpreter, had said he did not intend going back on the road due to health issues.
District Judge Gwyn Jones banned Soosaipillai from driving for four years and ordered him to pay a fine of £400. He will also pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £40.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article