A PENSIONER who had been through a "difficult time" was stopped by police while nearly three times the drink drive limit.

Stephen Joule, 67, was spotted driving erratically by police on the A44 between Rhayader and Llangurig on the evening of November 15 this year in his Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Joule was pulled over and failed a roadside breath test, with a later test revealing there to be 57 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of his breath, exceeding the prescribed limit of 35mcgs.

He admitted drink driving when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 8.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said it was 7pm when PC Underwood decided to stop the silver Suzuki after following it for a period of time.

“The vehicle was seen moving from the centre of the road to the verge, slowing down and then speeding up, the actions were not necessary,” said Mr Davies.

“The driver was going much slower than he needed to. The officer signalled for him to stop; he then mounted the kerb and the verge. The driver smelt of intoxicants and liquor and his eyes appeared glazed. A roadside test was positive.”

Mr Davies said Joule had been convicted of drink driving in January 2017.

Acting for Joule, of Corse, Gloucestershire, Gareth Walters said: “On the day he had been to stay the night at a hotel in the area and it was a road he’d not travelled before which is the reason why he was driving slowly.

“It is not the best road and officers admitted work was being done on it at the time, but his driving manner was the reason he was stopped.

“It had been a difficult time for him, he had lost several friends in the weeks prior to the drive, while he was also awaiting a biopsy. It was a bad day within a bad time, but he fully accepts he shouldn’t have been driving.

“He had been drinking at lunch time, he thought he was ok to drive, clearly he wasn’t.”

Ingrid Gallagher, chair of the bench, told Joule: “This is the second time within 10 years you’ve been caught drink driving, so our guidelines are quite clear.”

They banned Joule for three years and also fined him £175 fine and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £34 surcharge.