A drink-driver crashed his BMW into two cars in an Ipswich street while nearly three-times the legal alcohol limit, a court heard.

Matthew Dobson then tried to flee the scene, South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court was told.

The 27-year-old was disqualified from driving for 24 months after admitting drink-driving, failing to report an accident, and failing to stop after an accident.

Prosecutor Colette Harper said police were called to Seymour Road in Ipswich in the early hours of June 20.

Residents had reported the driver of a BMW had reversed into a Honda Jazz and a Vauxhall Mokka.

Dobson, of Beckham Road, Lowestoft, was found to be the registered keeper of the BMW.

When the car reached the top of Seymour Road it then reversed into a council bin in Rectory Road, smashing the BMW’s rear windscreen.

Dobson then went forward into Seymour Road and parked before running off from members of the public who believed he was drunk because of his slurred speech, Mrs Harper said.

Dobson, a technical officer for Network Rail, was found by police in Burrell Road near the train station.

A subsequent breath test showed he had 95 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

Mark Holt, mitigating, said Dobson had travelled to Ipswich the previous afternoon.

He had intended to stay over at a colleague’s home after going out with workmates to celebrate a promotion, but fell out with his friend who retracted the invitation.

Mr Holt added: “For very poor reasons he then decided to drive. Quite where he was going or what he was going to do I don’t think he really knows. When confronted by householders panic set in and he ran away.”

The court was told Dobson had previously spent three years in the army where he was said to have had an “exemplary record”.

District Judge Miller told Dobson: “In drink your judgment was substantially clouded for you to commit this offence. Certainly the damage to other vehicles was not so great, but the amount of alcohol in your body, compounded by your failing to stop after an accident has caused a blight on your good character.”

In addition to his driving ban Dobson was given a 12-month community order with 120 hours’ unpaid work. He must also pay a total of £290 in court costs.