A LANDSCAPE gardener who drank to “anaesthetise” the pain of an injury before getting in his car has been banned from driving.

Paul Bayliss, 31, of Leigh Sinton Road, Malvern, was stopped by police in Albert Park Road after they saw his van exceeding the 30mph speed limit and almost collide with another vehicle on Friday, April 20.

Sarah Stock, prosecuting at Worcester Magistrates Court, said Bayliss was seen to stumble as he got out and “his speech was so slurred it was unrecognisable”.

When tested he returned a reading of 81mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than double the legal limit of 35mcg/100ml.

Chris Hilton, defending, said the business Bayliss had started from scratch with another person a year earlier was having a difficult time and he was in pain because a wound that had needed sutures in hospital had split.

Bayliss admitted a charge of drink-driving and was disqualified for 18 months, fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.