A drink-driver who crashed into a hedge while carrying a passenger claimed he was blinded by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.
Slawomir Nowotny, 59, of Burgess Road, Welshpool , admitted drink-driving following a collision on the A458 near Llanfair Caereinion .
Welshpool Magistrates' Court heard police were called to reports of a road traffic collision involving a Suzuki Swace at around 11.25pm on June 12.
Prosecutor Joe Stephenson said officers found the vehicle in a hedge alongside the road and identified Nowotny as the driver.
The court heard the Polish national was carrying a female passenger at the time of the collision.
Police noted that Nowotny smelled strongly of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet, and was slurring his words.
He admitted drinking beer earlier that evening.
A roadside breath test returned a result over the legal limit and he was arrested and taken to Newtown Police Station.
Further tests in custody produced a lower reading of 51 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Mr Stephenson said Nowotny had no previous convictions but noted the offence was aggravated because he had been carrying a passenger and had been involved in a collision.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Robert Hanratty said his client was a "law-abiding citizen" with a partner and two dependent children.
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Mr Hanratty told the court that Nowotny believed he was fit to drive but accepted he had made a mistake.
He said: "He felt fine to drive. This was obviously a mistake."
The solicitor added that Nowotny said he had been negotiating a corner when an oncoming vehicle failed to dip its headlights.
"As a consequence, he was dazzled, blinded, and momentarily this affected his control of the vehicle," Mr Hanratty said.
The court heard nobody was injured in the collision and that Nowotny remained at the scene and fully cooperated with police.
Mr Hanratty said his client, who works as a machine operator, had been anxious about appearing in court because he had never previously been in trouble.
Magistrates fined Nowotny £400 and ordered him to pay a £160 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs, bringing the total to £645.
He was disqualified from driving for 16 months.
Nowotny was offered the opportunity to complete a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which would reduce the length of his ban if completed successfully.
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