A Powys teenager hoping for a career in the police will now likely be forced to find another path after he was convicted of drink driving.

Sam Davies, 19, moved his car a matter of metres to park overnight in Builth Wells during Royal Welsh Show week because he had wanted to find a quieter and darker place to sleep.

But, while manoeuvring into another parking bay at The Groe car park in Builth town centre, he collided with two stationary vehicles and was arrested.

Davies, of Camden Crescent, Brecon, admitted one charge of drink driving at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 14.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said Davies was moving his Fiesta vehicle at around 2am on July 24, the Wednesday of show week, with one witness Duncan Muir, describing him “driving erratically”.

“Duncan Muir was parked in his vehicle, he was going to sleep,” said Mrs Tench.

OTHER NEWS:

“He saw a vehicle driven erratically towards him, it collided with a silver Transit and he felt a nudge to his vehicle.

“The driver reversed into a parking space before being detained by police officers.

“Martha Robinson was sleeping in her works van when she heard a bang. She saw that the defendant had tried to squeeze in between hers and another vehicle.

“The driver got out, he appeared intoxicated, and police detained him.”

Mrs Tench added: “The defendant said ‘Me and my friends were about to go to sleep, but we thought where we were parked was too light so we went somewhere darker’.

“The defendant said he’d been at the Royal Welsh Show. He said he’d had two bottles of cider at most but couldn’t recall. He thought he’d moved less than 10 metres.”

The reading provided by a breath test showed Davies had 70 micrograms of alcohol in his system – the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Gareth Walters, representing the teen, said: “It was the Wednesday of Royal Welsh and he was going to sleep in his car. One witness was in his car for the same reason.

“He had parked his car earlier in the day but parked near the entrance where there’s a lot of footfall and it is light.

“He had the foolish idea to move it to a quieter area. He never left the car park, but collided with another vehicle.

County Times:

“Consideration was given to putting forward a special reasons case but he decided to hold his hands up and he didn’t want to waste more of the court’s time.

“He made a very foolish decision. Speaking to officers, he admitted he’d made a very stupid mistake.

“He has finished his college course in public services and he wanted to do a police scholarship, but he might not be able to do this now, so this will sadly have long-standing consequences for him.

“He works currently in a bookmakers in Brecon and is of previous clean character.”

Magistrates fined Davies £416 and told him to pay a £166 surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 20 months, but he can reduce the ban if he completes a drink driving rehabilitation course.