A DRIVER who was over the drink-drive limit was caught when he passed police officers on his way home to check on his dog.

Officers were following a Volkswagen Golf along the Harvington Road, in Evesham, at 4.25am on Sunday, December 15.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said after police signaled for Robert Male, who was driving the car, to stop they smelled alcohol on his breath.

The 32-year-old was given a breath test and taken to the police station.

He was found to have 51mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, almost twice the limit of 35mcg.

In mitigation, David Ollivere said Male, of Rosemary Close, in Evesham, had started the night with the intention of not driving.

He said: “He took precaution and had been dropped off and went to stay at a friend’s house.

“He then became worried about his dog and that he had not been let out to use the bathroom and thought his drinking was not much and took a chance to go home and check on his dog.”

At the case at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday, January 3, District Judge Nigel Cadbury banned Male from driving for 14 months with the option to completing a drink-drive course which would reduce it by 14 weeks. He also fined him £110 and imposed court costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.