A man who had been drinking returned to his car and drove even after police had taken him to a taxi office.

Patrick Juan Balcazar, of Bridge Street, Peel, was fined £1,250 and banned from driving for three years.

Balcazar, who is 36, was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs, must retake his test at the end of the ban and complete a drink-driving rehabilitation course.

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Prosecutor Barry Swain told magistrates how, on Saturday, April 29, at 1.30am, police received a call from a group of teenagers in Chester Street car park in Douglas.

One of the group told police that they had seen a man who they thought was drunk, trying to find his car in the car park.

They believed he was going to drive.

Officers found Balcazar there. He was said to be unsteady on his feet, slurring his words and smelling of alcohol.

They escorted him out of the car park and took him to a taxi office in Market Street.

Police left Balcazar at the taxi office but they went back to his vehicle and stayed there for 15 minutes.

They left but at 3.05am, just as they were driving past, they saw Balcazar driving out of the car park.

He was stopped at Mount Havelock and when he opened the car door he was in the same condition as he had been earlier.

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters.

Once there, he failed a breathalyser test with a reading of 86 - the legal limit is 35.

Mr Swain said: ’Having been given the opportunity to not drive, he clearly didn’t take that opportunity and effectively ignored what police were trying to do to assist him.’

Defending Balcazar in court, his advocate Ian Kermode said: ’Mr Balcazar has been struggling with various personal issues over the last few months.

’He is estranged from his partner, who is in Poland, and denied access to his child. He has been struggling to deal with this. He accepts he over-indulged while out socialising.

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’He describes it as a "massive error of judgement" to return to the car park.

’The distance driven was very short. Thankfully there was no crash, no one was injured and no property was damaged.

’The reading was almost two and a half times the legal limit but after being arrested he was co-operative.

’He does accept being escorted to the taxi office. He should not have driven.’

Mr Kermode added Balcazar was employed in financial services earning £380 a week, but had to send maintenance payments to Poland.

’He describes his actions as "stupid" and feels a deep sense of shame,’ said the advocate.

’He wishes to apologise to the court and we would ask that this be treated as a regrettable one-off.’

Magistrates’ chairman Lisa Horton said: ’We were extremely disappointed to hear that you were given the opportunity to leave the car and take a taxi but you got in your own car and drove.

’You potentially put members of the public in jeopardy.’