A driver is “at a loss” to explain how his car came close to running over a policeman on a town centre pavement, a court heard.
Darius Kirnena (34), of Double Street, Spalding, was three times over the legal drink drive limit when his Volkswagen Golf narrowly missed crashing into a policeman on Albion Street on November 17.
Kirnena pleaded guilty to driving when above the alcohol level limit before Spalding magistrates last Thursday and was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.
Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police were in Albion Street after reports of a disturbance and were speaking to a crowd of people on the road.
“One of the policemen then noticed a car coming towards where they stood, with its lights on only half beam,” Mrs Stace said.
“The engine wasn’t running but as it reached the area where one of the officers was stood on the road, the driver tried to start the engine.
“A colleague shouted at the officer to watch his back and he was able to move out of the way.”
Mrs Stace added that Kirnena was arrested and taken to a police station where a breath test showed 107 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.
Mark Hudson, mitigating, said Kirnena was on his way to see a friend when his car engine stopped running,
“Goodness knows why Kirnena did what he did and he’s at a loss himself to explain what happened,” Mr Hudson said.
Kirnena was banned from driving for 24 months, told to pay costs of £85 and a £60 victim surcharge.