A WREXHAM businessman who kindly drove his ex-girlfriend home after she tried to break into his house was stopped by police for drink driving, a court has heard.

Phillip Carr, 38, of Bennions Road, had been out in the town centre for a meal and some drinks on Boxing Day evening, and while there, had contact with a former partner, who told him she was keen to rekindle their relationship.

Mold Magistrates Court heard how Carr politely rebuffed her advances and went home alone, only to be woken at around 4am to the sound of shouting and banging. When he went downstairs, Carr discovered a window had been smashed and the police, who had been called by a concerned neighbour, were outside the property and had detained his ex, who was in a very drunken state. Rather than press charges over the incident, which had also resulted in damage being caused to his front door, Carr asked the police if they could instead just take the woman home, and they agreed to do so.

However, just an hour or so later, the woman returned to his home for a second time and as she tried to climb in through the broken window, she suffered cuts to her arms so Carr decided he would take her to hospital to have them treated. On the way, she became hysterical so Carr decided to just take her home instead and after dropping her off and heading back to his own property, was stopped by police and found to be over the limit.

Ceri Ellis-Jones, prosecuting, told the court how Carr had been stopped while driving his red Audi TT on Holt Road at around 6.30am on December 27, and because officers could smell intoxicants made him take a breath test. Carr failed the test, providing police with a lowest reading of 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which was just over the limit of 35mg/100ml.

Stephen Edwards, defending, said his client's "chivalry and valour" towards his ex had backfired in this instance and how the night had become an eventful one that would have an impact on his business, that he had only set up around 6 months ago.

The wedding events company called "Unique Rocks" had been in a similar line of work to what he had spent 12 years doing in Spain, before he had returned to his home town about eight years ago. Mr Edwards went on to say that Carr ran the company by himself and due to the nature of the work, had to drive to and from different events, so the likely driving ban imposed would mean he would no longer be able to do so.

He said: "This is a very unusual case in terms of the circumstances, but at the end of the day he was over the limit.

"He will have to take it on the chin and I'm sure he will be wiser for the experience."

Carr was banned from driving for a period of 12 months and must also pay a fine of £80, court costs of £85 and a surcharge of £32.