A KIDDERMINSTER man has been banned from driving after he was found guilty of being over the alcohol limit whilst in charge of a car outside his home.

Cornelius Smith, of Jubilee Drive, was taken into custody by police after he was found to have 123 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath in his Vauxhall Corsa outside his house in the evening of Tuesday, June 18.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath.

The 40-year-old pleaded not guilty when he appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, November 1.

The court heard police found Smith in the driver’s seat on the evening with the door open, and the lights on.

Smith then refused to provide a sample of breath to police and was verbally abusive to officers. Smith was then transported to Kidderminster Police Station.

In a police interview read by prosecutor Nicola Ritchie, Smith said he previously drove to a nearby shop to buy a bottle of Glenn’s vodka, but did not have anything to drink before this.

Appearing in court, Smith said he drank six to seven glasses of vodka mixed with Pepsi in his home before going outside for a cigarette. He said he was with his wife and two sons at the home.

He said: “I got drunk so I could sleep and go to bed.”

Smith said that he couldn’t remember events that followed but could remember waking up at Kidderminster Police Station and ringing the buzzer.

Police told him he was found slumped in the Vauxhall outside his address.

Smith told the court: “I see no reason to have driven the car.”

Judge Strongman said: “It was evident Mr Smith wasn’t thinking clearly and people drinking do silly things.” He said he wasn’t satisfied Mr Smith would not have driven.

He added: “He may well have gotten more cigarettes and more drink.”

Smith was ordered to pay costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £85.

He was also handed a community order with a 12-week curfew and a 12-month driving ban.