A JUDGE told a Swindon delivery driver caught doing more than 100mph on the M4 that he was "lucky people weren't dead".

Sentencing Brendo Novacki to an 18 month community order and banning him from the roads for two years, District Judge Joanna Dickens said: “Driving along the motorway at 107mph is a bit like firing shots in a shopping centre. You hope no one’s going to get killed. The truth is someone’s going to get killed at that speed. So, it’s incredibly serious.”

Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard the 27-year-old had been first arrested in August after a crash in Ermin Street.

The then courier had been behind the wheel of his Mercedes van on August 17 at around 1.20am when he smashed into bollards after scrabbling around trying to pick up his mobile phone, which he later told police had fallen from a seat.

Novacki attempted to run from the scene but was stopped by a group of people. Breath tests later revealed he had 69mcgs of alcohol in 100ml of breath, almost twice the legal limit of 35mcgs.

He was charged and bailed by the police. But the court heard he’d been picked up behind the wheel of a friend’s car at around 7.40am on the M4 westbound on Sunday, November 1.

Officers caught him doing 107mph with three other people in the back of the car. Again, the police breathalyser showed he’d been drink driving. This time, he had 49mcgs of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

Defending, Charlotte Frizzell said her client had not been working when he crashed in August. Earlier he had been with a friend, eaten some food and drunk three cans of Heineken lager.

She said: “He was driving home. He also makes it very clear he was not on his phone, but his phone fell from the seat. It fell from the passenger seat and he states he momentarily went to pick up the phone and unfortunately collided with bollards. Thankfully, there were no other vehicles.”

This weekend, he had stayed over at a friend’s house as part of a group. He had driven a friend’s car for her the morning after as she felt tired. He had not realised he was driving at 107mph, she said.

Novacki was a man of previous good character. He had come to the UK from Brazil 20 months ago in search of work and sent money home to his family.

Appearing before the court via video link from Gablecross police station, Novacki, of Dryden Street, pleaded guilty to speeding, drink driving, driving without insurance or a licence.

District Judge Dickens ordered Novacki do 150 hours of unpaid work as part of his 18 month community order.

She told him: “This is a really serious situation you are in today.

“You were driving 40 miles above the speed limit and that’s an incredibly serious risk to other road users. You are lucky that people are not dead.

“You were drunk as well. That’s just so dangerous. It’s terrifying, even, to think about it.”

The judge said she had considered sending him to prison but spared him because of his clean record. “I accept you are a hardworking young man. You’re otherwise leading a law-abiding life. But there’s not one rule for everyone else and another for Mr Novacki.”