A MAN with a "glittering career" crashed his car into a parked vehicle while drink-driving in Chester, before driving off.

Tomas William Goodwin, 28, of Fern Hill Drive, Farndon, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and failing to stop after an accident.

At Chester Magistrates Court on Friday, March 20, Goodwin received a 22-month driving ban and a £666 fine.

Prosecuting, Amanda York said it was 3.15am when a witness heard the sound of a loud bang.

They looked outside their home in Chester Road, Huntington and saw extensive rear-end damage to a black Seat Leon, which in turn had gone into a red Volvo.

The cause was the driver of a white BMW, which had driven off and then crashed into a ditch.

Police attended and arrested Goodwin, the BMW driver.

In interview, Goodwin said he had driven to Chester for a meal but had got drunk and admitted hitting the parked cars, and was remorseful.

He blew a reading of 85 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

He had one conviction for an unrelated matter from 2010.

There was no request for compensation as the damage to the vehicles was being sorted through insurance companies.

Defending, David Matthews said this was an "out-of-character" offence for someone who was extremely remorseful.

He worked as an architectural designer, with references supplied to magistrates by his current employer and former colleague.

Goodwin had also done extensive charitable work for victims of prostate cancer.

He had no intention of drink-driving and had co-operated fully with police.

He realised he had let not just him and his family down, but was hurting his "glittering" career in which he had achieved high quality results.

He was highly regarded in the profession and had been invited back by his university to give introductions for new students and give guest lectures.

Chair of magistrates Alf Bean told Goodwin: "We have read the references, you have had a glittering career and hope you can resume that. You don't need to be in this situation again."

For the driving ban, magistrates offered Goodwin the drink-drive rehabilitation course which could reduce his sentence by one quarter.

In addition to the £666 fine, Goodwin must pay £85 court costs and a £66 victim surcharge.