A few drinks ended up costing a Warwick Parish man $3,160 after he lashed out at three Police officers, one a sergeant, as he was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol.

Richardo Pacheco DaSilva, 34, was advised to stay indoors when he drinks ? preferably behind a locked door ? after he apologised to the Magistrate?s Court in Hamilton and blamed alcohol for causing him to act in such an aggressive manner.

A string of offences began shortly before 5 p.m. on September 17 when police officers saw DaSilva drive his car west along Reid Street and then park on a double yellow line.

?The officers went up to DaSilva and told him to move the vehicle. He said ?No, I?m waiting for my wife?,? said Crown counsel Shakira Dill.

As the officers spoke to DaSilva they noticed that he was not wearing a seatbelt and warned him that he would be reported. The Police also smelled alcohol on DaSilva?s breath and asked if he had been drinking, he replied: ?Sorry, I had two drinks.?

DaSilva, of St. Mary?s Road, was taken to Hamilton police station to give a breath specimen but once at the station became irritated and pushed a Police Sergeant, warned the officers that he had a powerful friend, and followed this up by spitting in the face of the jail officer and kicking him in the shin.

Once he was put in a cell DaSilva repeatedly banged his head against the cell wall and was then taken by Police to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Ms Dill told the court that DaSilva again kicked one of the escorting officers on the leg and once at the hospital refused to give a blood sample for alcohol analysis.

After treatment DaSilva was returned to the police station. When he appeared in court he pleaded guilty to the offences of driving while impaired, parking on double yellow lines and assaulting three Police officers.

For the defence former magistrate Edward King successfully argued that the seatbelt charge should be dropped because it was not clear at what point the officers had noticed DaSilva was not wearing one, as it is not an offence to sit in a stationary car without wearing one.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo dismissed the seatbelt charge and then asked DaSilva if he had anything he wished to say.

?I want to apologise for my actions. I?m a very good person when I?m not drinking. I apologise for wasting the court?s time,? said DaSilva.

?You?re saying it wasn?t you, it was the drink? But the drink is not going to pay for it. And where is the friend you mentioned to police. Has he got a lot of power, is he here today?? asked Mr. Tokunbo.

DaSilva shook his head. The court was told that DaSilva had also been convicted of assaulting police officers in 1988.

He was fined $60 for parking in a prohibited area, $1,000 for driving while impaired and also banned from driving for 12 months, $500 for pushing the Police sergeant, and $800 each for kicking a police officer and spitting in another officers face.

Magistrate Mr. Tokunbo warned DaSilva: ?Leave the booze alone or drink at home and lock yourself in the bedroom or bathroom.?

DaSilva was given until the end of September to pay the total fine of $3,160.