A MAN who drove his car whilst drunk and already disqualified has had his ban extended.

Mariusz Pieczara admitted driving whilst disqualified after drinking a bottle of vodka following a row with his wife and landlord.

He was banned for three-and-a-half years at Worcester Magistrates Court.

Magistrates heard how Pieczara had left his home after arguing with his wife, aggrieved by what he believed was a lack of support for him in a row over drinking in the house with his landlord.

Pieczara, 38, drank a bottle of vodka in a park after the argument and returned to find a suitcase packed and his belongings on the doorstep on June 5.

He drove away in his Toyota Yaris, despite being banned from driving for 23 months in February 2017.

Collete Orton, prosecuting, said officers found Pieczara walking with “no shoes on and not making much sense.”

He was seen stumbling in St Albans Close, in Worcester, speaking incoherently.

Police found him in Carlisle Road where he failed a roadside breath test. A later test, taken at Worcester police station, recorded 109 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The limit is 35mcg.

Pieczara, of Paddock Hill in Droitwich, first told officers he was trying to repair the clutch on the car but accepted he had driven the car after seeing witness statements.

When questioned by officers, Pieczara also said he believed the period of his disqualification had ended but he was unable to provide any evidence he had completed a drink-driving course.

Julia Powell, defending, said: “Perhaps there was some confusion and he was not properly aware that he was still banned from driving.

“I hope that he now understands that three years means three years.”

Pieczara told a probation officer that he was not dependent on alcohol but did binge drink to cope with stressful and emotional difficulties in his life.

He said he had made a foolish decision to get in his car and was not thinking about the consequences of driving under the influence whilst working as a van driver.

Pieczara was also given a 12 month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

He was also fined £250 for driving with no insurance and told to pay £135 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Trevor Higginbotham, chairman of the bench, said: “I must stress that if you do drive again you will be committing a very serious offence and more than likely you will be sent to custody.

“The severity of the offence means we must also sentence you to a community order.”

Pieczara was told by his wife that she would not consider reconciling until he has taken help for his drinking.

The court heard he has since been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings voluntarily.