A Headcorn man has been banned from driving for 18 months and told to pay £325 after being found to be almost twice the legal drink-drive limit.

The court heard how Robert Pieckonka had driven his Toyota through the village at 1pm in February, swerving across the road and forcing one driver to take evasive action.

When stopped by police, Pieckonka, 43, of Lenham Road, gave a reading of 150 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80.

He pleaded guilty to the offence, and to failing to turn up to his original hearing in June, at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He said he had been out of the country when he was scheduled to appear and could not afford to return.

Magistrates took into account the fact he had handed himself in to police that morning and had no previous convictions.

Pieckonka declined to take up a rehabilitative driving course which would have reduced his ban by four-and-a-half months.