A Pembroke mason who ignored police advice not to ride his motorcycle home has been banned from the road for drunk driving.

Rui Mendez, 32, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to driving while impaired in an incident on June 14.

The court heard that at around 4am that day, officers were on mobile patrol when they saw Mendez stumbling towards a motorcycle parked on Reid Street and climb onto the vehicle.

The officers spoke to Mendez, who smelled of alcohol and admitted drinking, and advised him to find another way home. Mendez was seen to get off the cycle and walk away, but around five minutes later another officer saw him on the motorcycle travelling north on Queen Street.

Mendez was stopped near the junction of Church Street and Parliament Street, where he was arrested. He was subsequently taken to Hamilton Police Station where he was found to have 173 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood — just over double the legal limit of 80mg.

Speaking in the court via an interpreter, Mendez apologised for his actions, saying he knew what he did was wrong and would accept the punishment.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Mendez $1,500, banning him from operating all vehicles for one year.