A DISQUALIFIED driver was caught drink-driving by police after he’d stopped for cigarettes at a petrol station.

Paul Atkinson, 43, from Newport had pulled his van into the Shell garage on Malpas Road at 4.40am in the morning to buy tobacco.

David Thomas, prosecuting, said officers went up to him near the petrol pumps.

He told Newport Magistrates’ Court: “They noticed he was smelling of intoxicants.

“The defendant told police he’d had two pints.”

South Wales Argus:

Paul Atkinson. Picture: LinkedIn

Plasterer Atkinson was already banned from driving for having no insurance with his disqualification running until July this year.

The defendant, formerly of Ferryhill, County Durham, now of Greenfield, Caerleon, admitted drink-driving with 54 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

He also admitted driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.

The offences were committed on February 19.

Oliver Jenkins, mitigating, asked that his client be given full credit for his guilty pleas.

The court was told that Atkinson was oblivious of his driving ban after he’d moved to Wales for work.

He’d upped sticks from the North East of England after his business went bust when a company owing him money collapsed, leaving him £26,000 out of pocket, the court was told.

A change of address meant he was unaware of his driving ban, Mr Jenkins said.

“He had no idea he was a disqualified driver at the time,” he added.

“But it was a clear error of judgement to be drink-driving.”

Magistrates were told the defendant had “glowing character references” and was a “hard worker”.

His van had been seized as a result of his arrest.

District Judge Sophie Toms told Atkinson: “You put yourself and other road users at risk.”

She sentenced him to a 12-month community order.

He was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and was banned from driving for 18 months.

Atkinson must pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.