A Pembrokeshire driving instructor has been ordered off the roads after driving his car despite drinking an entire bottle of wine the previous evening.

Matt Hayes, 49, was stopped by police just before 9.30am on the morning of November 25 after a member of the public informed officers they had seen him place an empty wine bottle inside a bottle bank.

Once he’d placed the bottle inside, Hayes then drove his blue Skoda Citigo along the Trafalgar Road in Haverfordwest, where he was subsequently stopped by police.

“Officers smelt intoxicants on his breath and his eyes appeared bloodshot,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates today (Tuesday).

“At the time, he was a driving instructor, however he told the officers that he had drunk a bottle of wine the night before.”

A roadside breath test proved positive and Hayes was taken to the police station for further tests. The lowest reading was 42mcg, which is seven mcg above the legal drink-drive limit.

Hayes, who previously lived in Keeston but has now moved to Cornwall, was represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.

“He gave a low reading which was the result of him drinking the night before," he said. 

"At the time of the offence he was taking the bottle back to the bottle bank and was reported by a member of the public – I’m not quite sure why, but that’s what happened.”

After considering several character references, magistrates disqualified Hayes from driving for 12 months. His disqualification will be reduced by 13 weeks if he completes a drink-drive awareness course by August 2, 2023.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.