A MOTORIST who was banned from driving has been jailed for 12 weeks after twice being caught driving while drunk.

Mark Letton, 45, of Leicester Avenue, Rochford, was caught driving twice over the legal limit mid-morning on August 21. He was caught again on September 15.

On both occasions he was banned from driving and had no insurance.

He pleaded guilty to the six charges at Southend Magistrates’ Court.

Lesley Chipps, prosecuting, said Letton, an unemployed dad-of-one, was disqualified from driving for two years and six months in December last year.

On August 21, he was caught by police driving a Rover, in Queensway, Southend, at 11am while drinking a can of cider.

An alcohol reading showed he had 76 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Then on September 15, he was nabbed at 10.40am driving a Suzuki Vitara, in Cobham Road, Westcliff.

An alcohol reading showed he had 72 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Mike Warren, mitigating, said: “He is not an unintelligent man, but his decision-making is extremely poor and dangerous to him and other road-users.”

Mr Warren said on the first occasion Letton had borrowed the car and was giving a neighbour a lift to a community centre. He also said Letton had been hit hard by the death of his mother recently.

District judge Jennifer Edwards said: “You have a very serious and now established alcohol problem.” Letton, was jailed for both drink-driving offences, has also been banned from driving for five years.