A drunk driver narrowly missed ploughing into a crowd of people when he mounted the kerb in his car in the early hours of the morning.

Carl Martin, 22, lost control as he drove along Par-la-Ville Road, in the City of Hamilton, and drove towards the group who were gathering outside the Esso garage, Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

According to Crown counsel Robert Welling, Martin then told watching Police officers: "I had two Heinekens but I ate. I'm ok."

However, tests later showed he had 100 millilitres of alcohol in 100 milligrams of his blood, against the legal limit of 80. He pleaded guilty yesterday.

The incident happened at 3.20 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9. Martin, of Middle Road, Smith's, was fined $1,000 and disqualified from driving all vehicles for 12 months by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner.