A drink-driver who slammed into the back of another car says he didn’t stop because he thought he had hit a pothole.

Ryan Bent, from Hawkinge, had been at the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra on the A20 and was driving towards Dover when he collided with the back of another vehicle near the Roundhill Tunnels.

To make matters worse, the other motorist was travelling home from hospital with his wife who had already been involved in a collision in her car earlier that day.

The police were called to the scene and caught up with 32-year-old Bent, who had continued to drive along the A20 “unaware” of the crash - despite a wheel of his car coming off.

He was given a roadside breath test which he failed. He was arrested and taken to the police station where he gave further breath tests, giving a reading of 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Bent, of Spindle Close, was charged with drink-driving and admitted the offence when he appeared before magistrates in Folkestone on March 12.

Ranji Prashar, prosecuting, told the court the crash occurred at about 11.50pm on Friday, February 23.

“There was damage to the other car and his vehicle, but he continued to drive along the road,” she said.

“No one was injured but there was heavy damage to both vehicles.”

The court also heard the wife of the other motorist had been in another accident while she had been driving earlier that day.

Her husband was on his way back from collecting her from hospital, along with two other passengers in the car, when Bent crashed into the back of them.

Miss Prashar added: “He was bringing her back from the hospital and this [crash] happened on the way back. His wife is now not good in a car.

“He made full admissions in interview and said he thought he had hit a pothole. He has no previous convictions.”

Defending himself, Bent, a fabricator and welder, told the court he was sorry.

He added: “I lost my mum to cancer and it’s been a traumatic period.”

Magistrates asked him when his mother passed away and he told them she died in 2019.

He added: “I had been drinking. I apologise. I assumed I had hit something, but not a vehicle.

“My tyre, my wheel came off - but I was not injured.”

The bench banned Bent from driving for 19 months and fined him £556. They also ordered he pay a victim surcharge of £222 and £85 court costs.

Bent was told to pay what he owed the court within 28 days. If he completes a drink-driving course, his ban will be reduced by a quarter.