A Whitland man caught drink-driving on Valentine’s Day has been handed a lengthy motoring ban.

Fifty-three-year-old Donald Carter of Abbey Road appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to plead guilty after being charged with driving a motor vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit.

Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court that there were no aggravating features, but the police pulled him over at Penblewin on the A40 on February 14 in a grey Ford Mustang for suspicious driving.

The defendant gave an evidential sample of 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.

Defence solicitor Katy Hanson, told the court that her client accepted that he had an alcohol problem.

She said that Mr. Carter agreed to give someone a lift as he felt okay to drive and tried to be very careful.

Ms Hanson said that this incident was a huge wakeup call for the defendant, who was now going to attend alcohol anonymous sessions, as he recognised that he needed to seek help.

She added that the defendant was self-employed and would not go to work the next day if he had been drinking.

Magistrates disqualified Mr. Carter from driving for 20 months.

He was also ordered to pay a total of £297 in fines and costs.