The 43-year-old man was also handed fines

A 43-year-old man has been banned from driving for three years and handed a 12-month community order, after getting behind the wheel of his car while more than four times the drink-drive limit. Police stopped the Cambridge man on Wednesday in Exning in Suffolk.

Samuel Potter of Bayfield Drive in Cambridge appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Thursday February 26. He was disqualified from driving for 36 months, after he admitted to driving with excess alcohol.

Potter was arrested in Exning at around 1.50pm the previous day, after officers on patrol had reason to stop the black Renault Clio he was driving along Church Street. He failed a roadside breath test and was subsequently arrested and taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

Once at the station, Potter provided a further two samples of breath and was charged with having 145 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath (the legal limit is 35mg in 100ml of breath). Potter was over four times the legal limit to drive.

As well as a driving disqualification and community order, Potter was also ordered to complete a nine-month alcohol treatment, 15 days of rehabilitation activity. He also received fines and costs totalling £344.

PC Nicholas Chapman said: “Drink driving is one of the ‘fatal four’ factors considered to be the main causes of serious injury or fatal collisions on our roads – along with excessive speed, not wearing a seatbelt and using a mobile phone.

“There was absolutely no excuse for Potter to drive whilst in no fit condition and he is very lucky it did not have more serious consequences for himself or other road users.”