A DRINK driver got behind the wheel to find his 'missing' father over concerns his dad was 'in danger'

Ersan Basri got behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Passat in Malvern after a night out with his family, concerned that his father was missing and did not speak any English.

The 24-year-old admitted driving with excess alcohol in Guarlford Road on October 23 this year when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Thursday.

He already had a drink driving conviction from last month, the prosecutor told the court.

Basri, who had details of the case relayed to him through a Bulgarian interpreter, failed a roadside breath test. An evidential reading at the police station revealed 49mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, above the legal limit of 35.

Melanie Winterflood, prosecuting, said: "An off-duty officer says the car was being driven erratically, swerving over the central white lines."

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Officers who were on duty were asked to attend and the defendant was pulled over and he was breathalysed.

Miss Winterflood said Basri had another excess alcohol conviction from September this year which led to a fine and 20 month disqualification.

Patrick Wise-Walsh, defending, said: "He has pleaded guilty but he wants to raise special reasons."

He said this would involve hearing evidence from the defendant and two defence witnesses. Mr Patrick Wise-Walsh explained that the defendant's father 'goes missing' and his client had had considerably less to drink than some of the other people present while others there did not possess a driving licence.

"It was an emergency. His father was outside. It was in the evening. He doesn't speak English, didn't have a mobile phone. Mr Basri was concerned about his safety" he said.

The bench asked if the defendant had believed his father was in danger and Mr Wise-Walsh replied 'precisely'. He argued that Basri was concerned 'about the risk to his father's health and wellbeing'.

Magistrates agreed to set the special reasons argument down for a further hearing lasting an hour and a half at 2pm at Worcester Magistrates Court on Monday, December 20.

Basri of Beaumont Road, Cheltenham was granted unconditional bail to attend that hearing.