AN off duty police officer prevented a Flintshire man who was over the drink driving limit from getting back in his car, a court heard.

Appearing at North East Wales Magistrates’ Court, Sean Turner, 51, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motor vehicle when above the legal drink limit, following the incident in Buckley on April 22.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said the off duty special constable was in the Spar store in Buckley just before midday when he came across the defendant arguing with a member of staff who was refusing to sell him alcohol.

The SPC watched Turner leave the store and walk over to a Volkswagen Golf parked in the car park whereupon he put the keys in the ignition.

The officer followed him and took the keys before he could drive off and contacted the police who on arrival carried out a roadside test which found Turner to have 170 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Turner was arrested and two further tests were carried out, the lowest of which measured 125 mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

CCTV showed Turner, a self-employed joiner, driving his vehicle to the Spar and parking it in the car park, but despite the high reading he claimed in interview he was fine to drive and initially pleaded not guilty.

A probation report from Tracey Flavell said Turner, of Alyn Road, Buckley, claimed to have drunk 12 cans of lager the night before, but had stopped drinking at midnight and was at a loss to explain how 12 hours later he was still giving such a high reading.

“Alcohol is more of a problem for him than he is willing to accept,” she said, before adding that Turner had suffered a number of physical injuries which had stopped him working and had suffered a recent bereavement that had led him to drink.

Handing Turner a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, District Judge Gwyn Jones added: “It’s clear that you have had a number of issues that have troubled you.”

Turner was also banned from driving for 30 months and will pay costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £150.