DRINK driver, Malcolm Goodenough admitted leaving his car parked half way across a carriage way with the hazard lights flashing before falling asleep behind the wheel.

By VICTORIA KNOWLES

victoria.knowles@eveningstar.co.uk

DRINK driver, Malcolm Goodenough admitted leaving his car parked half way across a carriage way with the hazard lights flashing before falling asleep behind the wheel.

South East Suffolk Magistrates Court heard how police officers were called to the A137 at Tattingstone at around 3.40am on September 20.

Members of the public had alerted police to the car that was parked half on the carriage way and half on the verge.

It also had its hazard lights flashing and there was concern that the car was in an unsafe position.

When the officers arrived at the car they found the 23-year-old asleep behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Cavalier.

They could tell from his actions and manner that he had been drinking alcohol.

They found he had 45 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Goodenough, of Hepburn Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, told the police he had been driving when his car had run out of petrol. He got out of the car to find a petrol station but had no luck so went back to the car where he fell asleep.

He admitted to drinking alcohol at about 5pm the previous day but said he had not had any since that time.

In court he said: "I could not sleep that night and thought I would go out for a drive. I ran out of petrol and when I couldn't find a petrol station that is when I went back to the car and fell asleep.

"I know I shouldn't have been driving and I was a fool."

Goodenough was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £200.

He was also ordered to pay £35 costs.