Man banned from driving after 'staggering' through King's Lynn pub

Staff at The Lord Napier suspected Vladas Kupitis and his friend had been drinking heavily and called 999 after they got into an Audi A6.

When 58-year-old Kupitis was stopped by police a short distance away he was found to be twice the limit.

Officers noted several open alcohol containers and a strong smell of drink, prosecutor Robyn Khan told magistrates in Lynn on Thursday.

Kupitis failed to give a roadside breath test but did provide a sample in custody. It gave a reading of 72mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath; the legal limit being 35.

The defendant, of London Road, pleaded guilty to drink-driving on August 16. The court heard that he had a conviction for drink-driving in 2006 - outside the ten-year period of relevance for harsher sentencing.

In mitigation, Alison Muir said her Kupitis’s legs were heavily bandaged at the time and he claimed he was stumbling through the pub due to mobility problems, not as a result of drink.

She added that the driving ban would have a “significant effect” - he and four other people whom he drives to work at a chicken factory in Attleborough would lose their jobs.

Miss Muir said he would be unable to partake in the drink-driver rehabilitation course - which could cut his ban - because his command of the English language was so poor, despite him having been in this country for about 13 years.

Kupitis was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £120 and told to pay £32 victim surcharge. There was no order for prosecution costs.