An Upper Brynaman dad of two was caught behind the wheel while almost one-and-a-half times the legal limit just three days before he was due to be sentenced for an earlier drink-drive offence.

Alexander Savage, of 43 New Road, was stopped by police after officers in an unmarked patrol car spotted the 31-year-old former security guard driving a Ford Ka with the lights switched off along Ammanford’s Foundry Road at 2.50am on April 5.

Prosecutor Ellie Morgan told Llanelli magistrates how Savage’s vehicle was “swaying across the white line onto the opposite side of the road”.

“Fortunately there were no other road users coming in the other direction at the time,” Ms Morgan said.

When the officer spoke to Savage they “immediately noted the smell of alcohol on his breath,” Ms Morgan told the court.

Savage told police he “had had a few bottles earlier in the evening”.

Tests showed he had 50 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Ms Morgan told the court that Savage had been due to appear before Gwent magistrates on April 8 – three days after his arrest – to be sentenced for a series of offences, including driving while under the influence of alcohol following an incident on March 19. He subsequently received a 12-month ban.

David Singh, defending, told the court that Savage had acted rashly after being contacted to say his child was unwell.

“That evening he had consumed alcohol with no intention of driving,” said Mr Singh.

“He received a phone call from his ex-partner who now lives in Cardiff to say that their young child was ill.

“He made the foolish decision to drive to Cardiff.

“At the time of his arrest he was in Ammanford looking for a petrol station.

“He certainly regrets his actions and realises the risk he posed to other road users.”

Mr Singh said Savage had been unable to work for some time after being diagnosed with depression.

Savage pleaded guilty to driving while over the legal limit.

Magistrates fined him £110 and ordered he pay £85 court costs and a further £20 legal surcharge.

They extended Savage’s driving ban from 12 to 36 months.