A DRINK driver who claimed only to have had one “jolly nice” glass of wine has been disqualified from driving.

George William Brown, 37, whose permanent address is in Dubai, is staying with relatives at Frogg Manor, a stately home, hotel and restaurant on Nantwich Road, Broxton.

He was stopped in the early hours of Wednesday, July 9 this year by police on the A41 Whitchurch Road near Waverton driving his BMW over the 40mph speed limit.

At 12.20am, police were observing cars on the road when Brown’s car sped past.

On being stopped, he replied at the roadside: “I’m not surprised, I’m a bloody idiot.”

But at a trial at Chester Magistrates Court on Wednesday in which Brown denied driving while over the limit, prosecutor Andrew McInnes said that PC Christopher Jones suspected he smelled of intoxicants so conducted roadside breath tests which proved positive.

When he was taken to Blacon custody suite, Brown produced a reading of 60mgs of alcohol per 100ml of breath, well over the 35mgs limit.

Taking the witness stand, Brown, who suffers from a peptic ulcer, said he had been taking over-the-counter medication for a cold.

He also said he had read that peptic ulcers can “effect the breathalyser machine”.

He added: “I had a cold and was not very well.

“I ate at 9pm at the restaurant at Frogg Manor and usually have milk with my meal – it helps with my ulcer. I’m very well known for it.”

Brown insisted he had had one glass of Chablis at his friend’s house in Manchester.

He added: “A friend of mine had a domestic situation with his girlfriend and didn’t want to be in the house with her.

“He was getting himself organised for the next day and he poured me a glass of wine.

“It was a jolly nice wine and he offered me a glass.

“He finished what he was doing and we set off back to Broxton. I felt fine when I left.”

Andrew Marr, defending, told the court his client is back in this country to care for his sister who has breast cancer.

He argued the breathaliser cannot have been working properly because Brown did not drink more than a single glass of wine.

But finding the defendant guilty, district judge Nicholas Sanders said: “Mr Brown has little credit in my view and chose to drink on that day.”

He disqualified Brown from driving for 20 months, endorsed his licence with penalty points and ordered him to pay a £525 fine and £450 costs.

The judge rejected an application by his barrister to have the disqualification suspended pending an appeal.