A DRINK driver from Powys who crashed into a lamppost was woken up by firefighters who found him unconscious when they arrived at the scene.

Christopher Patrick Hunt was more than twice the drink drive limit when police breathalysed him following the September 9 incident, in Presteigne.

Hunt, 58, put forward mitigation when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court this week, because he realised what he did was “extremely stupid”.

He admitted a charge of drink driving on Wednesday, September 27.

He had originally been charged with driving while unfit through drink, but that was withdrawn and it was amended to drink driving.

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The court heard Hunt had crashed his Peugeot Horizon vehicle at around 4am in the Offas Green area of Presteigne, after returning from rehoming a dog in Devon.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said: “Police received a report of a single vehicle road traffic collision; the defendant had collided with a lamppost and crashed into a hedge.

“The male driver was unconscious. The fire service arrived on the scene and had woken him up, he was clearly intoxicated. He was fully cooperative with police.”

Hunt provided a reading of 84 micrograms of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is just 35 micrograms.  

Acting for Hunt, of Lugg View, Presteigne, Matthew Ridler said his client had never previously been before the courts.

“He had driven to Devon to drop a dog off, who he had rehomed. He had stopped on the way back and had a couple of beers. He then collided with a lamppost.

“The accident is a substantial aggravating feature, but thankfully there were no other parties hurt.

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“He accepted it could have been much worse. There is limited mitigation because he says he was extremely stupid.”

Magistrates banned Hunt from driving for 20 months, although he can reduce this if he completes a drink driver awareness course.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.