A PONTARDDULAIS man will be catching two buses to work and two more home for the next 18 months after he was caught driving while almost twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Martin Haselupker-Thomas, of 8 Park Close, was driving a Fiat Panda when he was stopped by police on routine patrol in Iscoed Road, Hendy, during the early hours of November 7.

When officers spoke to the 33-year-old they immediately noted the smell of alcohol.

Tests showed Haselupker-Thomas had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Steve Lloyd, defending, told the court there had been no issue with Haselupker-Thomas’ driving.

“Nothing at all has been said about his driving,” Mr Lloyd said.

“This was simply a routine stop.”

Mr Lloyd said Haselupker-Thomas had been drinking “much, much earlier” the previous day and the night previous to that.

“He genuinely believed he was OK to drive,” Mr Lloyd added.

“It was a big miscalculation on his part, but it was just a miscalculation.

“This has proved something of an ordeal for him and it is something he deeply regrets.

“He will now face two buses to his work in the morning and two more to get home at night.”

Magistrates banned Haselupker-Thomas from driving for 18 months and fined him £200.

He was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs, a £20 victim surcharge and £150 in court charges.