A labourer who crashed his friend's car into a hedge while nearly three times the alcohol limit has been banned from the road for two years.

Calvin Vincent, 26, had been drinking lager at the White Swan pub in Halesworth with friends on April 18 this year when he decided to get behind the wheel of a friend's white Ford Fiesta.

On the way home from the pub, Vincent crashed into the car into a hedge on Saxons Way, Halesworth, and police were called to the scene.

People were milling about at the scene but no-one was injured in the crash, the court heard.

After establishing who the driver was, police performed a roadside test and Vincent was positive for alcohol.

He told officers at the scene it was "the most stupid thing he had ever done", Monali Raleraskar, prosecuting, told the court.

The car was seen driving poorly and without lights on, Ms Raleraskar said.

A sample of Vincent's blood taken at the hospital revealed 224 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

In police interview, Vincent told officers he did not know how many drinks he had consumed.

He said he came round the corner and into the hedge and believed he had his lights on.

Vincent said it was "a massive moment of stupidity".

Vincent, of Hill Farm Road, Halesworth, pleaded guilty to drink driving at Suffolk Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Robert Barley, mitigating, said Vincent works as a labourer at Kerslake Construction in Halesworth.

"It's fair to say he summed it up best in his interview. A moment of utter stupidity, some might say the foolishness of youth," he said.

Mr Barley also read a good reference from his employer to the court.

Magistrates told Vincent it was "a very high reading" but were satisfied he had shown remorse.

Vincent was banned for two years and fined £625 by magistrates.

He was also ordered to pay £105 in costs and a £63 victim surcharge.

Magistrates offered Vincent the opportunity to a undertake a drink drive rehabilitation course which will reduce his ban by 24 weeks if completed within the specified time.