A banned driver switched to the passenger side as police approached his car and noticed he smelt of booze.

Sam Walker came to the attention of the police after officers received reports a suspected drunk driver was behind the wheel of a black Kia Sportage being driven badly in Eynsford.

Officers were sent to Saddler’s Park in the village and saw the Kia with its lights on and the engine running.

As they got level with the car, they saw it mount a kerb.

Then they spotted a man in the vehicle move out of the driver’s seat and to the passenger side.

When they spoke to him, he told them someone else had just got out of the vehicle and run off.

However, officers had only seen 29-year-old Walker in the car and didn’t witness anyone else leave, so asked him to do a roadside saliva test, which he refused.

Police then checked the vehicle and his name, and then smelled alcohol on his breath.

He was asked to do a breath test, which he also refused to comply with, and officers arrested him.

As he was taken into custody, Walker was found to have a small amount of cannabis on him. He became aggressive with officers, still refused to comply with any of their procedures and had to be taken back to his cell to calm down.

Walker, of Oak View, Edenbridge, was later charged with several offences including driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and possession of cannabis.

He had originally denied all the offences but changed his pleas to guilty on the day he was due to stand trial on June 14 and a pre-sentencing report was ordered.

Walker returned to Medway Magistrates’ Court on August 23 to be sentenced.

Describing the events of October 25 last year, Christina Rowberry, prosecuting, said: “The officers get to Saddler’s Park and see the car with the engine running and lights on and as they level with the vehicle it mounts a kerb.

“One officer gets out and sees a single male occupant decamp to the passenger side and he sits in the passenger seat then tells the officer someone else got out and ran off.

“Officers were clear no one else has got out and he gave little cooperation and didn’t do a saliva test and refused to do a breath test.

“He has previous convictions for no insurance, no licence and excess alcohol and in March this year he was convicted of drink-driving and was given a 36-month ban.”

The court also heard Walker wanted to stop offending as he was a dad and wanted to set a good example for his children.

Magistrates jailed Walker for 12 weeks for the driving while disqualified offence, but suspended the term for 24 months. His licence was also endorsed.

He was also ordered to wear an alcohol abstinence tag for 120 days, complete 20 rehabilitation sessions with probation and attend a thinking skills programme for 19 sessions.

Walker was also banned from driving for another 46 months for the failing to provide offence and his licence was endorsed.

He received no separate penalty for the no insurance and cannabis offences but was ordered to pay £400 costs and a victim surcharge of £154.

Chairman of the bench Siobhan Draper said: “This suspended sentence could be activated if you get into any more trouble.”