A KENT businessman's night out ended when he crashed his £100,000-plus sports car while over the drink-drive limit.

Sivagnanam Arulparum was banned for 12 months, fined £600 and ordered to pay court costs after admitting drink driving at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court. Now he is hoping others will learn from his mistake.

Arulparum, who owns convenience stores in Chatham, Rochester, Larkfield and Marden, is putting up posters of his wrecked Ferrari 430 Spider in his shops warning people not to fall foul of the drink-drive laws.

Arulparum, of Frindsbury Hill, Strood, who had a drink with a meal, said: “I am very sorry about what happened. I shouldn’t have done it and am very lucky nobody was hurt. I just hope my story will stop other people doing the same thing.”

Arulparum was found to be over the limit after crashing into a tree on the A249 at Detling Hill, near Maidstone.

The court heard how a police reading found 60 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

The magistrates were told how police were called to the scene following reports of an accident involving two cars.

It was noted in court that mechanical failure was accepted as the cause of the accident and no charges have been bought regarding the quality of Arulparum’s driving.

FULL STORY IN THE OCTOBER 5 EDITIONS OF THE KENT MESSENGER AND MEDWAY MESSENGER