Helping a recently bereaved friend move some furniture led to a man in his seventies drowning his sorrows in the pub afterwards before crashing his van into a Mercedes on the way home.

Barry Hadgkiss, 71, of Windrush, Highworth, appeared before town magistrates on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving dating from July 1.

Crown prosecutor Pauline Lambert told the Swindon bench that Hadgkiss had been driving the P-reg Ford Transit van on the B4019 at Blunsdon when he collided with a Mercedes at a junction.

The police were called and when Hadgkiss was taken to Gablecross Police Station he provided a breath sample of 77microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of his breath. The legal driving limit is 35mcg.

Ms Lambert added that Hadgkiss had a previous drink driving conviction dating from 1996, but as this was more than 10 years ago it would not impact his sentence. He also had another drink-related charge dating from 2008, but this was not driving related.

Defending Hadgkiss, Gordon Hotson told the court that his client had been in low spirits having assisted the bereaved friend move the furniture. He said: "He was in a fairly low state emotionally, not only because of the recent bereavement in such sad circumstances, but that reminded him of the fairly recent death of his own son. As a result he consumed more alcohol than he would normally. He is not a regular drinker."

Mr Hotson added that when his client saw the Mercedes coming towards him he had tried to brake, but as he was wearing smooth-soled shoes his foot had slipped off the brake pedal.

"A disqualification from driving will cause him and his family considerable inconvenience and he accepts that this is only one person to blame for that," Mr Hotson added.

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Lady Maria Pitt said: "You are very lucky that no one got hurt."

She disqualified him from driving for 20 months and ordered that he he pay a £500 fine alone with a £50 victim surcharge and £85 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

As he left the court room Hadgkiss, who walks with the aid of a stick having undergone surgery on both his knees and his hip, said to the magistrates: "I have learned my lesson, I am so sorry."