A FOOTBALLER from Ipswich has been banned from driving for the second time after being caught drunk while behind the wheel of his brother's car.

Helen Skene

A FOOTBALLER from Ipswich has been banned from driving for the second time after being caught drunk while behind the wheel of his brother's car.

Tesfaye Bramble was warned by South East Suffolk magistrates that he could be jailed if he was caught driving on the roads in the next three years.

The court heard Bramble, was driving the Range Rover belonging to former Ipswich Town player Titus Bramble when police stopped him in Avondale Road, Ipswich.

The former Stevenage footballer, who is currently injured, drank two vodka and Red Bulls within 20 minutes at the Gainsborough Labour Club in Landseer Road before driving.

Andrea Reynolds, prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court said the 27-year-old of Stone Lodge Lane, Ipswich had 45 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Bramble pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol on June 27 and to having no insurance and only a provisional licence.

Ms Reynolds said Bramble was stopped at about 11.30pm after police recognised him driving slowly in the car.

She said Bramble had been banned from driving for a year after being convicted of drink driving in 2003 and would have to be disqualified for a minimum of three years on this occasion.

She added that a passenger in the car was a disqualified driver and no L plates were displayed so Bramble was not acting as a supervised driver on his provisional licence.

Russell Butcher, mitigating, said: “He borrowed his brother's vehicle. He has his own car and thought he was covered on insurance but he is a named driver on a friend's policy who usually acts as his supervising driver”.

He added that Bramble had played for Stevenage Football Club but ceased in April due to a knee injury.

Mr Butcher asked the court to allow Bramble the chance of completing the Drink Drivers' Rehabilitation Course to reduce his disqualification but he was offered and refused it in 2003 and magistrates' did not offer another chance.

Bramble was banned from driving for three years, fined £250 and told to pay £75 costs.

Chairman of the Magistrates' bench, Peter Page said: “This is the second time around, but if you drive on UK roads in the next three years you could lose your liberty.”