A DRINK-driver who drove after a drunken birthday celebration is lucky to have escaped a jail sentence today.Darius Trumpickas, of Nacton Road, Ipswich, was discovered asleep in his red Mercedes in Ipswich Cemetery by police officers at about 6pm on November 19, after he had been drinking heavily the night before.

A DRINK-driver who drove after a drunken birthday celebration is lucky to have escaped a jail sentence today.

Darius Trumpickas, of Nacton Road, Ipswich, was discovered asleep in his red Mercedes in Ipswich Cemetery by police officers at about 6pm on November 19, after he had been drinking heavily the night before.

He was breathalysed and discovered to have 149mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than four times the legal limit of 35mcg.

Mitzy Bond, prosecuting, told South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court: “Police received a report from a member of the public to say that the defendant's vehicle was parked in the cemetery in Ipswich with a man sitting in the driver's seat, slumped over the wheel.

“The defendant said he'd been out on Saturday November 18 with friends drinking until four in the morning.

“He said he went back to his friend's address near Cemetery Road to recover from the previous night's drinking.

“At about 6pm on Sunday afternoon he drove from his friend's house. He didn't feel very well and then drove into the cemetery to rest.”

Roger Stewart, mitigating at the hearing last Thursday , said: “My client's birthday is on November 20.

“He went out with friends to celebrate that birthday.

“He rested as well as he could there, accommodation was fairly small and there were lots of people there so he felt cramped.

“Then he decided he felt physically well enough to drive.

“It was obviously an error of judgement.

“He started to drive and recognised he wasn't well enough to drive, so pulled off into the cemetery with a view to resting it off even more.”

Trumpickas, 36, who is originally from Lithuania and has lived in Britain for three years, pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

He was banned from driving for three years, given a 12 month supervision order, 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £43 towards prosecution costs.

Weblink: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk

Another drink-driver is also banned from the streets of Suffolk today.

Jordanas Povilionis, 28, of St Helen's Street, Ipswich, was spotted driving erratically on December 23.

He was breathalysed and found to have 99mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Mitzy Bond, prosecuting, told South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court: “The vehicle was swerving in Foxhall Road, Ipswich, crossing the white lines in the middle of the road.

“The police spotted this vehicle and it was being driven by the defendant. He provided a road-side test and it was positive.”

Povilionis, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving, said: “I had a drink that night with my friends. A couple of glasses of wine or beer, and I decided to drive home.”

He will be sentenced on February 8 after a pre-sentence report is prepared and he was given an interim disqualification from driving until that date.