A MAN who ploughed his car into three parked vehicles in Ilminster town centre before attempt to drive away was found to be more than two and half times the drink drive limit.

Michael Anthony Hall had been playing pool in the pub with friends when he got into his car but said he could not recall any details of the accident and only remembered waking up in hospital.

The 27-year-old defendant, of Lightgate Villas, South Petherton, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates, sitting at Yeovil.

Prosecutor Emma Lenanton said that Hall was at the wheel of a Honda Civic when it crashed into three cars parked on the High Street in Ilminster causing significant damage to both them and his own vehicle.

“A witness said the crash was so loud that that she thought it was a lorry involved so she ran out and saw the defendant’s vehicle had smashed into the parked cars,” she said.

“A young male was in the driver’s seat and he got out and was staggering around and started walking away but then got back into the car and tried to reverse it about two or three feet.”

The witness opened the driver’s door and another male appeared and an altercation occurred between him and the defendant.

The witness leant in and turned the engine off and removed the keys and although Hall tried to get them back he remained at the scene until the police arrived.

He failed a roadside breath test but was taken to hospital due to injuries, and while there a blood sample was taken and found to be 197mlg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mlg of alcohol.

“When Hall was interviewed by police he said he remembered going to his friend’s house at Ilminster at 12.30pm but just drank Pepsi,” said Miss Lenanton.

“He then went out to a pub to play pool with friends and the next thing he remembered was waking up in hospital and he could not account for what he had consumed.”

Hall, appearing unrepresented, told the magistrates that the loss of his driving licence would affect his ability to be with his children saying it was very out of character for him.

The magistrates banned Hall from driving for 22 months and also fined him £258 with £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.