A MAN who was involved in a crash after drinking cider at a garage has been fined and banned.

Paul Richards, of Abbots Walk in Holywell, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 55-year-old admitted that on February 26, he drove a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

The court heard immediately before the offence, Richards had been at a garage in Holywell where he consumed cider.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said that at around 7.30pm on the day of the offence, he'd driven into the path of another vehicle in Halkyn Road, which resulted in a collision.

He was breath-tested and found to have 45 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of alcohol, the limit being 35.

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Gary Harvey, defending, said: "He was in Hillcrest Garage in Holywell and tells me he hadn't had a drink when he pulled in.

"But he had some cider while he was there.

"The reading was fairly low, and when he pulled out it was dark and he collided with the other vehicle.

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"He knows he will lose his licence today and has had some problems with alcohol in the past."

The Magistrates handed down a £120 fine and ordered the defendant to pay a £48 victim surcharge, as well as £85 costs.

He was banned from driving for 14 months.