A MOTORIST whose car was seen swerving across the road near Pooley Bridge was over the drink drive limit, magistrates heard. 

The lawyer who represented Shameem Akhthar, 38, said that he felt ashamed that he was before the court for drink driving, which he admitted.

In her mitigation, Lauren Heasley told Carlisle's Rickergate Magistrates' Court that the defendant's life had been significantly disrupted by the inevitable loss of his driving licence for the offence, which he committed on July 20.

Prosecutor George Shelley said the defendant was stopped by police at 2.25am.

"Officers had followed a red Peugeot heading towards Pooley Bridge on the A592 because the vehicle was swerving from one side of the road to the other and clipped he kerb," said the prosecutor.

"The speed of the vehicle also varied and it appeared to be breaking frequently."

A roadside breath-test showed that Akhthar, from Kensington Gardens, Darlington, had 58mcg of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Ms Heasley told magistrates Akhthar had been driving for 20 years and never had so much as a penalty point imposed on his licence. "He's ashamed to appear before the court," she said.

"He's medicated for anxiety and has really struggled over the last three weeks, knowing this hearing was coming."

The inevitable loss of his driving licence - mandatory for all drink drivers - would be felt most keenly by his partner.

She had depended on the defendant for transport, living as she does in a rural area that has no reliable public transport.

As a result of the looming ban, she had temporarily moved in with the defendant with her children, who have had to change their school.

"He feels bad about the impact it will have on them," added the lawyer.

Presiding magistrate Paul Bird said the court accepted the offence was a "one-off." They fined Akhthar £356 with £85 costs and a £35 victim surcharge.

Magistrates banned him from driving for 16 months but offered the drink-driver rehabilitation course, which if completed in time will cut the ban by 16 weeks.