Kingsbridge kids football coach Richard McCarley found drink-driving

A KIDS' football team coach who was caught driving home from his club's Christmas party while more than three times the alcohol limit has been banned by magistrates.

Richard McCarley, 41, is a football coach for the Kingsbridge under six and sevens teams, Swansea Magistrates' Court heard.

He was stopped as part of Operation Reindeer — a police scheme to reduce drink-driving in Swansea over the festive period.

A police officer was stood in Dillwyn Road in Sketty wearing a fluorescent jacket and holding a torch and tried to flag McCarley into a bus stop.

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McCarley, of Gorseinon Road, Penllergaer, who was driving a Ford Connect van, swerved into a different lane of the carriageway away from the officer and police followed him.

McCarley's wife and son were both in the van with him when officers stopped him, the court heard.

He told officers: "I've had two pints at a children's party."

When he was tested, McCarley was found to have 112 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Andrew Evans, representing McCarley, said his client had been at a work party two nights before and the following night to celebrate his birthday.

McCarley had then gone to the Kingsbridge football club party and drunk two pints.

Mr Evans said: "It's a classic case where the defendant didn't appreciate quite the extent to which he was over limit.

"He's at pains to point out he would not jeopardise the safety of his wife or his son.

"He says if his wife was concerned about his driving, she would not have let him drive," Mr Evans added.

Magistrates imposed a 24-month ban and told him to complete 85 hours of unpaid work.