A Barming man who ploughed his car into a Maidstone graveyard after downing whisky and Sambuca has apologised for his actions.

Abolore Shittu, originally from Nigeria but now of Barned Court, pleaded guilty to the drink-driving charge last Friday following the crash at around 5.45am on Saturday, November 25.

Maidstone Magistrates’ Court heard the wall at All Saints Church, in Mill Street, was destroyed and a headstone damaged after Shittu lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa while driving along Knightrider Street.

He admitted drinking four double Jack Daniel’s and cokes as well as a shot of Sambuca while out with friends the night before.

Officers who arrived on the scene found he had 40 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – exceeding the prescribed limit of 35 microgrammes.

Shittu was banned from driving for a year and fined £300. He was also told to pay £115 in various court costs.

The father-of-one, who is working on a temporary basis at Kent and Canterbury Hospital, was also ordered to undergo a drink-driving rehabilitation course.

Speaking outside the court, he said: “I apologise for the damage and posing that type of risk, which was a lack of judgement.

“Obviously I am very shameful, it was extremely bad judgement based on my situation in life at the moment.

“I was out drinking with friends, it was Thanksgiving Friday and I was just trying to lift my spirits a little but I misjudged how much I had.

“I didn’t think I had that much, but obviously the tests confirmed otherwise.”

After the crash, the road had to be closed and a police cordon put in place while the car was loaded onto a recovery truck.

Many of the memorials at All Saints date back to the 1700s and 1800s and upkeep of the headstones is a matter for families.