A Forest of Dean motorist “took a gamble” and lost both his driving licence and his job as a result.
Samuel Harvey, 24, of Plump Hill, Mitcheldean pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates Court today to driving with excess alcohol on his breath.
The court heard he was found to have 56 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms.
Prosecuting lawyer May Li said: “It was 1.50am on October 27 when police followed a VW Golf on the A40 for two miles before stopping the vehicle near The Lea, Ross-on-Wye.
“They could smell alcohol and the defendant was subsequently breathalysed.”
Defending lawyer Nichola Shaw said: “My client took a gamble but it did not pay off.
“He is an electrician and drives a works van and will very likely lose his job as a result of the inevitable ban.”
The court heard that Harvey had had a few drinks with friends and thought that it would be okay to drive.
Magistrates banned him from driving for 14 months, fined him £120 and ordered him to pay £40 towards prosecution costs.