A BMW driver is banned from the roads today after a two-day drinking binge led to mayhem on the county's roads.James McGinley, was more than three times the drink-drive limit when spotted by a plain-clothes police officer as he travelled from Gainsborough Road in Ipswich to Bell Lane in Kesgrave.

A BMW driver is banned from the roads today after a two-day drinking binge led to mayhem on the county's roads.

James McGinley, was more than three times the drink-drive limit when spotted by a plain-clothes police officer as he travelled from Gainsborough Road in Ipswich to Bell Lane in Kesgrave.

South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard how the 56-year-old old clipped the wing mirror of a parked car, veered on to the wrong side of the road and mounted the kerb as he made his way home from Ipswich's Music in the Park event on Sunday, July 2.

When McGinley, of Scopes Road, Kesgrave, finally came to a halt he was breathalysed and gave a reading of 112mcg of alcohol in 100ml of blood - the legal limit is 35mcg.

He was one of 115 people who failed a breath test out of 1,272 tested in Suffolk police's month-long summer drink drive campaign.

Lesla Small, prosecuting McGinley, said the officer has observed the defendant's BMW as he drove downhill from Gainsborough Road to Tuddenham Road.

She said: “He (McGinley) turned left and went on to the wrong side of the road and the officer followed him up to the roundabout on Colchester Road.

“He then turned right and was heading towards Kesgrave. The officer could still see him driving erratically and he continued on to the Sidegate Lane roundabout.

“As he got to Renfrew Road he went on completely the wrong side of the road, facing oncoming traffic and forcing it to slow down. Then he came back and hit the kerb.”

Ms Small said McGinley had later mounted the kerb for three or four car lengths and brushed nearside bushes.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving and said financial concerns had contributed to his drinking.

Mark Holt, mitigating for McGinley said: “Mr McGinley has great concern that he was driving at that level and has as to the manner of his driving.

“Two days prior to this he will say, he had been told by his housemate that he was vacating the property which caused considerable concerns.

“He also recently lost his employment and he took the decision to drown his sorrows.

“He hit the bottle heavily over two days from Friday to Saturday and on the Sunday he said he didn't drink until he went to Music in the Park where he had two pints of lager and some food.

“He suffers with hayfever and took some medication. He said he did not feel affected by the alcohol but he felt slightly worse for wear and he puts this down to the hayfever and the medication.”

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until July 28 but gave McGinley an interim driving ban.

Has your life been ruined by drink driving? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail: eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.