A drink-driving dad was caught by police in a Swindon town centre car park.

Kirushenmoorthy Kajavathanan, of Graham Street, pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Swindon Magistrates' Court on August 21.

Officers received reports of an intoxicated driver in Swindon around 1am on August 7 and found Kajavathanan’s vehicle stationary in the Wyvern car park with the keys in the ignition and his lights on, parked over the kerb on double yellow lines.

When they opened his door, they noticed a smell of alcohol on his breath and he appeared to be intoxicated as he got out of the car, slurring his words and seeming to be unsteady on his feet.

Kajavathanan repeatedly tried to open the door and there were five failed attempts to breathalyse him, but on the sixth they were able to get a reading, which was the basis for his arrest.

In custody they tried to take another reading while he continued to be disruptive and told officers he had been drinking vodka.

He kept asking for a drink of water and officers repeatedly tried to explain they needed to complete the evidential test first, warning him that refusing to provide a specimen of breath in custody would be classed as an offence.

After officers demonstrated how to take the test, Kajavathanan gave a reason about having high blood pressure, which meant he could not blow a reading or generally control his breathing.

His defence argued Kajavathanan was “genuinely unwell” and provided GP evidence about his history with chest pains and severe migraines, adding he did not have any previous convictions and he was having counselling for his mental health struggles.

The court also heard that he was very upset prior to the arrest about his grandmother becoming unwell and he was in a “state” at the police station with breathing difficulties, so he could not carry out tests as required.

His defence said Kajavathanan came to the UK in 2008 from Sri Lanka and had not seen his close family for years, but he was settled with his wife and child in the town, had a second child on the way, and ran businesses in Swindon and Swansea.

Kajavathanan, who pays for his car on finance, was disqualified from driving for 24 months and ordered to pay a fine of £369, a surcharge of £148 and prosecution costs of £85 – totalling £602.