WAYLAID at the pub to take part in a conker competition, a South Petherton pensioner drank more than he should before getting into the car and driving home.
On route Thomas Monaghan lost control of his vehicle and hit a stone pillar at the entrance of a house but then continued driving home not realising the collision had occurred.
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Neil Priest, defending, said that on the day in question Monagahan went to a local pub and it had been an accumulation of errors that led to his downfall.
He normally just has a shandy followed by a tomato juice but on that day he had a pint of bitter followed by a shandy, he said.
He then had a glass of red wine and was then persuaded to stay at the pub because there was a conker competition taking place.
Not able to walk back because his wife suffers from dementia, he made the foolish decision to drive which was entirely out of character for him.
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The magistrates banned Monaghan from driving for 17 months and fined him £400 with £85 costs and a £40 victim surcharge.
