Police who tailed a drink driver at 20mph discovered a can of beer on the dashboard, a court heard.
Martyn David Banks was exactly three times the legal drink drive limit when he was breath tested, prosecutor Peter Ashby told Stroud Magistrates' Court.
"He had an opened can of Stella Artois on the centre console," said Mr Ashby.
"The defendant said to officers he was an alcoholic, and had drank about an hour before, and had a large amount of wine and vodka."
A breath test showed he had 105 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes. Mr Ashby said Banks, 51, admitted the offence in interview.
Earlier Mr Ashby told the bench that police had tracked him from Brockworth to his Larkhay Road, Hucclecote home as he drove at 20mph at 2am on October 20.
"A constable in a parked vehicle in Ermin Street and saw a silver Peugeot coming from Witcombe, doing about 20mph," Mr Ashby said in court on Monday, December 17.
"He was later seen driving down Ermin Street, driving slowly.
"The officer illuminated the blue lights and the car being followed continued at 20mph."
Banks was at the wheel when the car stopped outside his home, said Mr Ashby.
Banks wrote to the court indicating he wanted to change his plea to not guilty but in court admitted the offence.
"He wanted to plead guilty but was advised not to by his legal representatives," said Mr Ashby.
Malcolm Perry, defending, said his client's duty solicitor who saw him just after he'd been stopped questioned why police apparently stopped a driver for travelling too slowly.
"He was doing 20mph in a 30mph zone which would not suggest that there was any reason to stop him," said Mr Perry.
"However we looked at the road traffic act and it gives the officer the authority to stop a vehicle at random. If the officer had said that, there would not have been a concern.
"It is a high reading and he was aware it was unacceptable. He had trouble with alcohol but stopped a few years ago.
"Generally he had made an impressive change against alcohol."
He said his client worked in the racing industry throughout his life and had had his hours cut, and suffered financial loss.
The bench imposed an interim driving ban while the probation service prepares a report before sentence on January 3.
Martyn David Banks was exactly three times the legal drink drive limit when he was breath tested, prosecutor Peter Ashby told Stroud Magistrates' Court.
"He had an opened can of Stella Artois on the centre console," said Mr Ashby.
"The defendant said to officers he was an alcoholic, and had drank about an hour before, and had a large amount of wine and vodka."
A breath test showed he had 105 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes. Mr Ashby said Banks, 51, admitted the offence in interview.
Earlier Mr Ashby told the bench that police had tracked him from Brockworth to his Larkhay Road, Hucclecote home as he drove at 20mph at 2am on October 20.
"A constable in a parked vehicle in Ermin Street and saw a silver Peugeot coming from Witcombe, doing about 20mph," Mr Ashby said in court on Monday, December 17.
"He was later seen driving down Ermin Street, driving slowly.
"The officer illuminated the blue lights and the car being followed continued at 20mph."
Banks was at the wheel when the car stopped outside his home, said Mr Ashby.
Banks wrote to the court indicating he wanted to change his plea to not guilty but in court admitted the offence.
"He wanted to plead guilty but was advised not to by his legal representatives," said Mr Ashby.
Malcolm Perry, defending, said his client's duty solicitor who saw him just after he'd been stopped questioned why police apparently stopped a driver for travelling too slowly.
"He was doing 20mph in a 30mph zone which would not suggest that there was any reason to stop him," said Mr Perry.
"However we looked at the road traffic act and it gives the officer the authority to stop a vehicle at random. If the officer had said that, there would not have been a concern.
"It is a high reading and he was aware it was unacceptable. He had trouble with alcohol but stopped a few years ago.
"Generally he had made an impressive change against alcohol."
He said his client worked in the racing industry throughout his life and had had his hours cut, and suffered financial loss.
The bench imposed an interim driving ban while the probation service prepares a report before sentence on January 3.
