A WOMAN watched as her drunk neighbour attempted to park in the street and crashed into a lamp-post.Factory worker Viktor Zhukivskyy lit up a cigarette after the incident and swayed from side to side as he decided what to do.

A WOMAN watched as her drunk neighbour attempted to park in the street and crashed into a lamp-post.

Factory worker Viktor Zhukivskyy lit up a cigarette after the incident and swayed from side to side as he decided what to do.

The 26-year-old Lithuanian did not attend his trial at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court on May 17 and was found guilty for charges of drink driving and driving without insurance in his absence.

The court heard Zhukivskyy, of Turin Street, Ipswich, came home around midnight on December 3 and crashed into the lamp-post before his neighbour contacted police to tell them of her suspicions that he was drunk.

Nicole Kerr, who lives in the same street, said: “At about 11.50pm I was in bed and heard a loud bang. It sounded like a car crash. I looked out of the window and could see a car had reversed into a lamp-post.

“I thought it was quite strange because there was such a large space in front.

“The driver got out and checked the damage and then lent into the car and took out a packet of cigarettes. He lit it and smoked it and was swaying considerably.”

Zhukivskyy, who originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, went inside his house and Miss Kerr called the police.

Pc Dan Macaulay said: “When we arrived we saw the vehicle and checked the registration with the address which matched up.

“We knocked at the door and were let in. There were several people inside. A man came out of a bedroom and said he had just woken up but he was fully dressed and wearing shoes. He was intoxicated.

“He admitted he owned the car but said he had not driven it that night. He had the car keys in his pocket.”

All of the men inside the house were brought out on to the pavement where Miss Kerr identified Zhukivskyy as the man driving the car.

A breath test was conducted which showed he had 91 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Roger Thomson withdrew as defending solicitor from the case when Zhukivskyy or his two witnesses did not arrive for the trial.

Magistrates put out a warrant for his arrest and he will be sentenced at a later date.