A TRAWSFYNYDD motorist acted strangely when he came across a parked police car near Penrhyndeudraeth and his actions resulted in the police following his van, Dolgellau magistrates heard.

Tracey Willingham, prosecuting, said that it was early in the morning on 14 May when the defendant was driving a white Transit van along the A487 and at first did not pass the police car.

Then the driver drove into a nearby estate. The police followed and saw that the driver Christopher Stephen Harroch, 32, of 6 Pen y Garreg, Trawsfynydd was clearly under the influence of alcohol.

Subsequent tests revealed that he had 58 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35m.

Iestyn Davies, defending, said that his client co-operated fully with the police and had pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.

The defendant was not currently working and the court was asked to allow the defendant to attend a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.

The court was told that last June the defendant was banned from driving by a court in Spain.

Court chairman Elfed ap Gomer asked whether the Spanish ban affected the sentencing in any way. Court clerk Tudur Parry said that at present there were no such agreements between Spain and Britain, although the driving ban would still be in force in Spain.

Garroch was fined £200 after he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and was banned for 14 months and has to pay £85 prosecution costs and £30 victim surcharge.

He was offered and accepted to attend a drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course that would reduce the driving ban by 14 weeks if completed satisfactorily.

The court agreed for the fines and costs to be paid at the rate of £6 per week and that if the defendant got a job, he would be expected to pay more.