A MUSLIM drink driver drank alcohol to try and fit in with his work mates before getting behind the wheel and nearly mowing down a young girl.Despite the drinking of alcohol being banned in the Muslim religion, Mohammed Bouhouch said he had drunk to try and fit in at a Christmas party.

A MUSLIM drink driver drank alcohol to try and fit in with his work mates before getting behind the wheel and nearly mowing down a young girl.

Despite the drinking of alcohol being banned in the Muslim religion, Mohammed Bouhouch said he had drunk to try and fit in at a Christmas party.

But the revelry resulted in Bouhouch getting behind the wheel and driving at high speed before making racial remarks to police officers and urinating in his cell.

Bouhouch decided to hit the bottle at a party at Solar Bowl on Sproughton Road Industrial Estate on December 5.

He then got into his Nissan Prarie Jeep and drove around the car park almost mowing down a young woman before driving off at high speed and crashing into a tree.

When he was arrested and taken to Ipswich Police Station following a positive breath test he urinated on the cell floor and ruined a mattress by throwing it on top of the puddle and jumping on it.

South East Magistrates Court heard on Monday that Bouhouch was also racially abusive to two police officers, one who was black and another who was white.

Bouhouch, 33, formerly of Turin Street, but now of London, pleaded guilty to driving while unfit, using racially aggravated threatening behaviour and causing criminal damage to the mattress by being reckless.

Kate Miller, prosecuting, said although Bouhouch gave a positive roadside breath test he was not tested on the police toximeter so he was not charged with drink driving.

She said he had an outstanding fine for having no tax disc when his car was not being driven but was parked outside his home in January.

The court heard that Bouhouch lived in Morocco until he was 10, then moved to Gibraltar with his family.

It was there that he met his wife and they moved to England about four years ago.

Bouhouch of previous good character said the police officers had not dealt with him courteously and had made him wait when he banged on the door and sounded the attention buzzer for a drink and then for the toilet.

He said that was why he was abusive in his drunken state. He had, however, apologised to the custody officer the following day for being racially abusive and was "ashamed" of his offending generally.

District Judge David Cooper said: "Your behaviour was disgusting."

Bouhouch was fined £250 for driving while unfit. His licence was endorsed and he was disqualified from driving for 18 months. He was fined £100 for causing criminal damage and told to pay £90 compensation to the police for a new mattress.

Bouhouch was also ordered to pay a £200 fine for using threatening behaviour and £400 towards court costs.

The £197.82 owed for not having a tax disc was also added to the total and Bouhouch was told to pay the amount in full at once or go to jail for a total of 35 days.