A Canadian tourist who admitted to having more than the legal amount of alcohol in his system was given a $1,000 fine.

William Lawrence pleaded guilty to the charge in Magistrates' Court, but denied a separate charge of driving while impaired.

Crown counsel Robert Welling asked for the second charge to lie on file.

The court heard that earlier that day Police officers were on patrol on Front Street when they saw a man riding west without wearing a helmet.

Officers motioned for him to stop. He had difficulty stopping the cycle and officers noticed his breath smelled of alcohol and his eyes were glazed.

Lawrence admitted he had been drinking and said he was trying to find the Hamilton Princess.

The 29-year-old Nova Scotia resident was arrested and taken to Hamilton Police Station where he refused to take the breathalyser test.

When officers told him it was offence not to take the test, Lawrence obliged.

The test was taken twice and it revealed the defendant had 184 millilitres of alcohol in 100 millimetres of blood. The second said he had 177 millimetres of alcohol in his blood.

The legal limit is 80.

He was fined $1,000 to be paid immediately.