A LLANDEILO man has been banned for more than three years after he was caught drink-driving for the second time in less than two years.

Oliver Griffith Roberts, of Pentrecwm Farm, pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit after he was stopped by police in Ffairfach – just four months after he was allowed back on the road after being banned for 16 months for the same offence.

Ammanford magistrates heard the 21-year-old was offered the PRISM drink-drive rehabilitation course that would have slashed his ban by a quarter when he was caught for the first time in January 2007.

But his mother stopped him from attending so he could fulfil the entire ban to learn a lesson.

However, her plan failed on October 5 when officers followed Roberts on a Ffairfach road just after 8am.

“At first they thought he was speeding,” said prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“But then they could see he was hesitating as soon as he caught sight of the police car.”

Roberts was breath-tested and proved to be almost twice the legal limit by having 68microgrammes of alcohol in 100millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35mg/100ml.

The court heard that Roberts had been out drinking the night before and was heading home from a friend’s house in Gorslas when he was stopped.

“He stopped drinking at 11pm and thought he would be fine to drive home,” his solicitor Michael Jenkins said.

Mr Jenkins said any ban would have a huge impact on jobless Roberts’ hopes of finding work.

“He lives two and a half miles outside Llandeilo and as I’m sure we are all aware, public transport in the area is non-existent,” he said.

Magistrates banned Roberts for 40 months, fined him £100 and ordered him to pay £75 costs with a £75 victim surcharge.

“You really should have known better and you should not be in this position today,” they said.

Roberts was also offered the PRISM course again but it was not revealed in court whether or not he would be taking it.