A man claimed he failed a breathalyser because he downed whiskey before police tested him.

Adam Digby South, aged 39 and of Weymouth, who gave a reading almost four times the legal limit told police he had not drunk any alcohol before driving but had downed a large glass of whiskey between stepping out of his car and being breathalysed.

He appeared at Weymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The court heard on August 2, last year a member of the public reported a possible drink-driver behind the wheel of South's Ford Focus.

Officers attended South's address but his car was not on the driveway so they conducted a search the immediate area.

When they returned to the property a short time later, South was now at the address. He was breathalysed and gave a reading of 137 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

South told officers he had not had anything to drink that day but had driven to the Londis in Lyndale Road and purchased a bottle of whiskey.

When he arrived home, South said he poured the whiskey into a glass and "downed it" followed by a pint of water.

Richard Oakley prosecuting told the court South had initially pleaded not guilty to drink-driving and the case had gone to trial on January 14.

However, South then changed his plea and accepted an lower reading of 120 microgrammes, adjusted in the charge on the presumption he could have drunk 'some' alcohol between stepping out of his car and being breathalysed.

He accepted the revised figure when he appeared at court last week.

Aisling Tring, mitigating, said the offence was "entirely out of character" and South was "ashamed" to be before the courts.

Miss Tring said South had recently gone through a "devastating" personal situation and had been 'misusing' alcohol at the time of the incident.

She added he had since stopped drinking.

"He doesn't think he has a problem," she said. "His real aim is to get back out there and start again."

Chairman of the bench, John Young said the "very high" reading taken by police was 'not to South's credit'.

"120 is very very drunk," Mr Young said. "Although it was a relatively short travelling distance, nevertheless it was incredibly dangerous."

South was handed a 12 month community order to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 30 months.