A DRINK driver ended up crashing in a ditch after closing his eyes on the A55, a court heard.

Voldemar Busmic, of Downsfield Road in Chester, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 48-year-old admitted that on April 8 at Northop, he drove a motor vehicle on the A55 after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his blood exceeded the limit.

He was found to have 198 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - the limit being 80.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, said at around 6.25am on the day of the offence, police arrived at the scene of a collision on the A55.

They saw that a Ford Mondeo had gone into a ditch at a 90 degree angle to the carriageway.

A 200 yard marker post was missing from its position.

It was found on the central reservation some distance away.

Busmic had been driving and smelled strongly of intoxicants, Ms Jackson said.

He did not complain of any injuries but he failed a breath test and later gave the reading in blood with which he was charged.

At interview, he told the police he had been driving to work and he was familiar with the road.

He had closed his eyes for one or two seconds, he said, and then "bang" - he was on the grass verge and had lost control of the car.

Busmic told officers he'd had an argument with his partner and had been "drinking heavily" in the week before the offence.

Bethan Jones, defending, said: "Although he hadn't had a drink for six years, he accepts he had a bad week and reached for that old crutch. "He hadn't been drinking that morning, but he had been drinking within 24 hours before, and a considerable amount."

District Judge Gwyn Jones said: "Fortunately there was no other party involved, you're very lucky in that regard."

He handed the defendant a 12 month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work.

Busmic was disqualified from driving for 22 months and ordered to pay £85 costs, as well as a £95 victim surcharge.