A CANCER sufferer from Swindon who has a matter of months to live has been banned from driving for 12 months by magistrates in the town.

Martin Bennett, aged 57, of Beverley, Toothill, admitted a charge of drink-driving when he appeared before Wiltshire Magistrates sitting at Swindon.

Prosecuting, Pauline Lambert told the court that at 3.40pm on November 12 this year police followed Bennett in his BMW 320 car for approximately 800 metres along Freshbrook Way, Toothill.

He was, Miss Lambert said, seen to be driving in an unsteady manner, floating from the centre of the road to the kerb. When stopped by the police he smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet. He told police he had drunk four to five pints.

A roadside breath test recorded 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Defending, Gordon Hotson said it was interesting that the police reported they had observed Bennett driving in an unsteady manner as at the time they stopped him they said Bennett was driving without insurance, although he was in fact insured.

“Somebody must have reported that he had been drinking,” Mr Hotson added. A driver for more than 35 years, Bennett had a clean UK driving licence he said.

Mr Hotson asked the magistrates to make any period of disqualification from driving as short as possible because his client, a factory maintenance engineer on long-term sick leave, was suffering from lung cancer and a ban would cause genuine hardship.

“He has had three courses of chemo, one course of radio therapy and any treatment is just palliative care. He has been told it is a matter of months now,” Mr Hotson said, adding that Bennett had been back in hospital at the weekend because of breathing difficulties.

The magistrates disqualified Bennett from driving from 12 months, fined him £250 plus court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £25.