A Pembroke man has been banned from driving after being caught riding while impaired.

Davon Gibbs, 24, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to driving while impaired by alcohol in an incident on January 27.

The court heard that at around 10.35pm that day, officers were conducting speed checks on Palmetto Road, near the junction with Marsh Folly, when they saw Gibbs riding east at a high speed without a helmet.

The officers pulled Gibbs over and asked why he did not have a helmet. He said it had been stolen.

During the conversation, police noted that he appeared to be unsteady on his feet and that his breath smelled of alcohol.

He was arrested and taken to Hamilton police station where he provided a breath sample. The lowest reading showed he had 257mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood — more than three times the legal limit of 80mg.

He explained that he only rode because he believed his bike would be stolen and he was taking it a relatively short distance.

Magistrate Archibald Warner responded: “And that would have stopped him killing somebody?”

Mr Warner fined Gibbs $1,200, and banned him from driving all vehicles for a period of 18 months.

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