A Pembroke man has been banned from the roads for 18 months for driving while over the prescribed blood-alcohol limit on New Year’s Day.

But in court this morning, he told the magistrate “I wasn’t impaired. I just failed the breathalyser” test.

Antione Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to offence.

Prosecutor Susan Mulligan told the court that uniformed police officers stopped Williams on Dismont Drive, Pembroke, at about 2.40am on January 1.

The officers noticed that Williams’ speech was slurred and his breath smelled of intoxicants.

When Williams was asked if he had been drinking he said that he had drunk half a bottle of wine.

Williams was subsequently arrested on the suspicion of driving while impaired and taken to Hamilton Police Station, where he agreed to take a breathalyser test.

The lowest reading showed that Williams had 135 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood — the legal limit is 80 milligrams.

When asked by Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo if he had anything to say to the charges Williams replied: “Your Honour, I wasn’t impaired. I just failed the breathalyser.”

Mr Tokunbo disqualified Williams from driving all vehicles for 18 months and fined him $1,200.

Williams also admitted speeding at 80km/h on Somerset Road, Sandys, on May 26.

He was given a $500 fine and seven demerit points.