Sick aunt was reason drunken learner was swerving around on road late at night

Police became suspicious when they saw a slow driver late at night - and when they pulled him over they found he was three times the drink-driving limit. At Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday Amit Khunti, who only had a provisional licence, explained he only drove because his aunt was sick.

The court heard that Khunti, 28, of The Wayne Way, Evington, Leicester, had been drinking beer all evening when, shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 31, he heard his aunt was unwell and decided to go to visit her. Leicestershire Police officers on patrol in Sandhills Avenue, Hamilton, Leicester, spotted Khunti travelling slowly along the road shortly before 2am.

When they followed him for a while he started swerving around, crossing the central lines on the road. When they pulled him over his eyes were glazed and he was slurring his speech.

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A breath test at a police station showed a reading of 106 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit for driving is 35 microgrammes.

At the court hearing he admitted drink-driving and also driving without a proper licence and while uninsured. His insurance was invalid because he was a learner, driving alone and without L-plates.

Bal Singh, representing Khunti, told the magistrates: "He had some beers. His cousin had left her car and car keys at his address.

"Just after midnight Mr Khunti got a call that his aunt wasn't well and they were taking her to hospital. Mr Khunti was travelling to Hamilton.

"It's not a genuine emergency. He could have taken a taxi. The irony is that he had a theory test booked for September 10 and had been taking lessons."

He said his client worked night shifts at an Asda warehouse and did not have a drinking problem.

The chair of the bench, Elizabeth Needham, told Khunti: "It was a very high reading and so we're going to disqualify you for 24 months. You are not to drive anywhere in the UK."

Khunti was also given a 12-month community order with 130 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.