A motorist caught drink-driving twice in less than three weeks has been banned from the road for four years.

Baden Garwood’s second offence occurred hours after he was released on bail from Ipswich Crown Court where he appeared on an unrelated matter.

The 42-year-old, of Newnham Court, Ipswich, should have appeared before the town’s magistrates on the same day to answer his earlier drink-driving charge. However, he failed to attend because he was in crown court.

Garwood now has three drink-drive convictions after pleading guilty before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court to driving when above the legal alcohol limit on July 4 and July 22.

Prosecutor Lesla Small said the first offence happened on July 4 at 8.55pm.

Officers saw Garwood in a Renault Scenic parked in Downside Close, Ipswich.

When they spoke to the painter and decorator they smelled alcohol on his breath.

He admitted driving the car and said he had only parked up a few minutes earlier.

A subsequent breath test showed he had 54 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

The court heard the second offence occurred at around 5.30pm on July 22 in Grimwade Street, Ipswich, on the same day Garwood had appeared in crown court.

Police had been given information about a possible drink-driver.

After being stopped in the same Renault Scenic Garwood admitted he had been drinking.

A breath test showed he had 87mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

Magistrates heard Garwood had a previous drink-drive conviction in 2003.

Andrew Cleal, representing Garwood, said his client had conceded he had a drink problem.

Mr Cleal said: “He appears to be consuming between six and eight cans of high-strength lager in the evenings and does drink during the day.”

In addition to disqualifying Garwood from driving magistrates made him subject to an eight-week curfew from 7pm to 6am each day as part of a community order.

He must also pay 85 costs and £60 to the victims’ fund.

An order was also made to deprive Garwood of the Renault Scenic.