A man who was found in a damaged car parked in a fast food eatery’s parking lot was fined $1,800 yesterday.

Lionel Phillips, 25, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to having care and control of a vehicle while impaired by alcohol.

The court heard that police were on mobile patrol when they were alerted to a potential drink-driving case.

Officers were informed that a car was seen swerving on Middle Road in Paget and appeared to have struck a wall.

Officers pulled into the parking lot of the Ice Queen restaurant in Paget, where they found Phillips in a car that had suffered damage to its front.

Police tried to get Phillips out of the car, but he struggled to respond.

Phillips eventually complied and was arrested on suspicion of having care and control of a vehicle while impaired.

Police took him to Hamilton Police Station where they demanded a sample of breath for analysis, but Phillips refused.

The incident took place in the early hours of August 17.

Phillips, from Sandys, told the court that the last thing he remembered was being with his children and that he did not recall how this incident took place.

He added: “I’m not even someone who drinks like that and I just started a new business, so I’m not even really out like that.”

Magistrate Craig Attridge fined Phillips $1,800 in addition to disqualifying him from driving for 18 months.

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