Saundersfoot man accused of drink-driving during poor weather conditions in the snow has been banned from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle for 38 months, after admitting the charge in court.

Fifty-five-year-old David James Tombs, of Devonshire Drive, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to driving his Vauxhall Zafira, on Sandy Hill Park, after exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol.

Prosecutor Abul Hussain told the court that the incident occurred on Friday, March 2, after Pembrokeshire had been hit by the ‘Beast from the East’ snow drifts.

“There were a lot of children and people present in the Sandy Hill Park area of the village due to the heavy snowfall, and an off-duty police sergeant witnessed Mr. Tombs in his vehicle travelling towards him.

“He tried to wave the driver down and alert him to the road conditions as it was too dangerous to drive, and as there were lots of children around, he feared that the driver wouldn’t be able to stop.

“The defendant was spoken to and the off-duty sergeant could smell intoxicants on him and his speech was slurred,” continued Mr. Hussain.

Mr. Tombs was asked to hand over the car keys, which he agreed to.

When police officers arrived, the defendant gave a positive roadside test and a reading at the police station following his arrest of 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The court heard how Mr. Tombs had two previous drink-drive convictions recorded against him in 2004 and 2009.

Mr. Tombs’s defence solicitor Luke Lambourne told the court that his client had recently undergone surgery to varicose veins and on the day of the incident slipped on the floor and hurt his head which left him shaken up, leading to him visiting a local establishment where he consumed alcohol.

“He had no intention of travelling down the hill, he reversed, and that’s when his vehicle became stuck in the snow,” explained Mr. Lambourne.

Magistrates disqualified Mr. Tombs from driving for a period of 38 months and find him £120 for the offence.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.