A MOTORIST has been hit with a hefty fine after he belatedly admitted to drink driving on the morning of his trial.

David Keith Lewis, 66, had denied a charge of drink driving in Builth Wells a few weeks before Christmas last year. Lewis had denied the charge at an original hearing in January and his case was scheduled to go to trial at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday, March 16. But at last week’s hearing, the defendant changed his plea.

Lewis, of Church Land, Llanyre, near Llandrindod, was just slightly over the legal drink drive limit when he provided a reading after being stopped by officers on December 10. The reading was 41 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Lewis was stopped driving a Mitsubishi L200 on High Street, Builth.

Magistrates fined him £436 for the offence and he was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £43 surcharge.

They also disqualified him from driving for 14 months, a ban he can reduce if he successfully completes a drink driving awareness course.