A MAN narrowly escaped prison after being sentenced for his third drink-driving conviction.

David Roberts was spotted by officers when he turned in to Sayers Avenue, Malvern, and drove on the wrong side of the road towards a marked police car, Worcester Magistrates heard.

He corrected his position and when police told him to pull over he did so, but got out of the car and ran off, said Suzanne Llewellyn prosecuting.

Officers on foot caught up with the 37-year-old from Archers Close, Malvern. He was arrested and breath tests revealed he was three times over the legal limit.

Roberts has previous drink-driving convictions from June 1992 and April 1996, Mrs Llewellyn added.

"He accepts that when he went out to run an errand for his partner he should not have stopped at the pub and should not have continued to drive a vehicle," said Richard Hull, defending at yesterday's hearing.

Roberts had controlled his drinking since finding work and realised he was a danger if he got behind the wheel drunk, added Mr Hull.

He admitted driving with excess alcohol after his arrest on Friday, August 29, and at his first appearance before magistrates, in September.

Timely plea

"But for your timely guilty plea and your co-operation with police, once you had stopped being stupid, you would be starting a prison sentence now," said chairman of the bench, John Moore.

Roberts was banned from driving for five years, given 100 hours community punishment, a 12-month community rehabilitation order and ordered to pay £120 costs.

n Deaths and injuries from drink-driving related accidents have risen by seven per cent since 1990, according to Department for Transport figures published this week.

Motorist groups blamed the Government for focussing their attention on speeding drivers.