surface was this week fined $400 for drunk driving.

John Persighetti, of South Road, Paget, admitted the December 17 offence when he appeared in Magistrates' Court.

Police prosecutor, Insp. Peter Duffy, said officers were driving along Trimingham Road at 3.10 a.m. when they spotted Persighetti, veering from side to side on his auxiliary cycle. When asked to stop by the officers, Persighetti used both his feet to bring the cycle to a halt.

Police said Persighetti was swaying as he walked along the sidewalk, his speech was slurred, his eyes glazed and his breath smelled of liquor.

Persighetti told the officers he had only drank two beers and blamed his driving manner on the road. Upon inspecting the surface, however, the officers found it to be dry, smooth and unobstructed.

Persighetti was taken to the Police station where an alco-analyser test showed he had 167 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in his system.

In addition to the fine, Senior Magistrate the Wor. Will Francis disqualified Persighetti from driving all vehicles for one year.