FACTORY worker Petras Lukauskas drank more than a bottle of vodka as he sat in his car outside Turners (Soham) Ltd. He then drove off the premises, and police spotted him driving erratically along the Fordham by-pass. When stopped, 33-year-old Lukauskas g

FACTORY worker Petras Lukauskas drank more than a bottle of vodka as he sat in his car outside Turners (Soham) Ltd.

He then drove off the premises, and police spotted him driving erratically along the Fordham by-pass.

When stopped, 33-year-old Lukauskas gave a breath test reading almost three times the legal limit, Ely magistrates were told.

"Police saw his car swerving across the central white line in the road repeatedly," said prosecutor Matthew Bradbury.

"The vehicle turned right at a roundabout, towards an industrial estate, and the police car's blue lights were switched on to tell the driver to stop. The car pulled up 50 metres from Turners."

Lukauskas was unsteady on his feet and needed to hold on to the door and roof of his Rover car to keep his balance, said Mr Bradbury.

"The officer could smell drink even before he spoke to Lukauskas," he said. "He saw two vodka bottles on the front passenger seat, one was empty and the other was three-quarters full."

Lukauskas failed a roadside breath test and later gave a test reading of 100 mcgs of alcohol in 100 mls of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.

"My client does not normally drink. He had been working at Turners and had a significant argument with his partner," explained solicitor Jacqui Baldwin.

"As a result, he drank the vodka; he was loath to return to work, and decided to drive into a side road to sleep it off. He had only driven a short distance when stopped by police."

Lukauskas, who lives in Peterborough, admitted drink-driving on September 18. He was banned from driving for 24 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £50 costs.