THREE passengers were in a car with a drunk driver when it spun in the road and smashed into a central barrier.Shane Smith was more than twice the legal limit when witnesses became alarmed at his “erratic driving” in London Road, Copdock at 7.

THREE passengers were in a car with a drunk driver when it spun in the road and smashed into a central barrier.

Shane Smith was more than twice the legal limit when witnesses became alarmed at his “erratic driving” in London Road, Copdock at 7.30am.

Lesla Small prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court said the black BMW car was severely damaged at the front due to the crash.

Twenty-four-year-old Smith said he had lost control on the bend and “totalled my car”.

He told police he had been drinking from 5pm the previous evening until 6am.

Smith, of California Road, Mistley, near Manningtree had 76 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

He pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol on February 21.

Smith told the court: “I know what I have done is obviously wrong and I should not have done it.”

Magistrates said the aggravating feature was that there were three passengers in the car. Unemployed Smith was fined �150 and told to pay �80 towards costs.

He was disqualified from driving for 20 months but told the ban would be reduced by five months if he completed a drink drivers rehabilitation course.