A Saundersfoot man seen swerving his car erratically by police has been handed a lengthy motoring ban after admitting a drink-driving offence.

Twenty-eight-year-old Marc Innes, of Valley Close, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, to plead guilty to a charge of driving his Citroen Berlingo car whilst exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told magistrates that at 12.45 am on August 23, police officers on routine patrol at the roundabout by Pembroke Dock spotted Mr. Innes’ car heading towards the Cleddau Bridge.

“The car was swerving in the carriageway, and at one point partially mounted the grass verge on the side of the road,” he explained.

When police offices pulled Mr. Innes over, they could smell intoxicants on his breath, and administered a roadside breath test, which he failed.

Following his arrest, at the police station the defendant gave a reading of 69 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Mr. Pritchard-Jones told the court that as well as evidence of driving with significant impairment, a further aggravating feature was that it was the third drink-driving charge within the past seven years for Mr. Innes.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that Mr. Innes suffered badly with mental health issues, and on the night in question he was with friends and had experience something of a panic attack and needed to go out to get some cigarettes.

“He had drunk alcohol some time earlier, and thought he would be ok to drive, but wasn’t.

“Mr. Innes previously lived in Hemel Hempstead and didn’t have the best of lifestyles there, as you will see from his antecedent history, and previous convictions for shoplifting, public order offences, and carrying a knife in a public place, but he moved down to Pembrokeshire in 2016 and has turned his life around.

“He has found his dream job as an arborist but will most likely sadly lose that job now, with a driving disqualification today.

“Mr. Innes loves the Pembrokeshire area and the new start it has given him, and he has tried to put something back into the community. The person living in Hemel Hempstead is a completely different from the one here today,” added Mr. Webb.

A report from the probation officer given to the court explained that Mr. Innes suffered very severely from anxiety and depression issues, and that he was working with his doctor on these matters.

Magistrates handed Mr. Innes a 40 month driving ban, along with a 12 month community order, to include a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement, to help address issues with the defendant’s emotional wellbeing. The order also included 50 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Mr. Innes was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £90 victim surcharge.