A Snodland father caught drink driving blamed cough medicine for putting him over the limit.

Graham Elgar was stopped by police due to a faulty tail light as he was driving on the A228 to Tesco in Larkfield.

But upon being pulled over it emerged the 58-year-old, of Edwards Close, did not have a valid licence or car insurance and was over the limit.

He gave a breath test of 48 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Russell Morling, defending, said Elgar had been suffering from undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and had been taking cough medicine. Elgar admitted to having drunk alcohol earlier in the day.

Mr Morling said: “He had a glass of wine at lunchtime. Though he was under the limit, he had been self-medicating with Covonia and subsequently discovered it has alcohol in it.

"He had been self-medicating with Covonia and subsequently discovered it has alcohol in it" - Russell Morling, defending

“The instructions suggest you don’t drive, but it was still down to him to check. It was a mistake.”

Elgar had told officers he thought he had purchased car insurance online but something must have gone wrong during the process.

He was also driving on a US licence, which he wrongly thought was valid.

Mr Morling added: “This is something he should have checked before getting in the vehicle. He has learned the hard way.”

The offences happened on January 21 and Elgar pleaded guilty to all three charges at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court.

Chairman of the bench Dave Mann said: “You understand you are responsible as a driver to ensure compliance with the law and you didn’t on this occasion, on many levels.”

He was disqualified from driving for a year, fined £1,300 and ordered to pay £150 in court costs.