A MAN caught drink driving for a FOURTH time has been spared jail.

Bolton magistrates heard how Hungarian Jozsef Papai had drunk more than double the legal alcohol limit when he was stopped by police driving a Kia Carens on Derby Street, Bolton, on March 13.

Robin Lynch, prosecuting, told the court how the car had come to the attention of the police because it was listed as having no insurance.

When he was taken to Swinton police station the lowest breath test reading Papai, who has also used the surname Hovath, recorded was 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

The court heard that Papai’s drink driving offences date back to 2007 when he was banned from the roads for 16 months, then, in 2012, he was banned again for three years and imprisoned for failing to provide a breath specimen.

In 2016 he was caught drink driving again and was fined and given a 46 month driving ban. The ban was still in force when he committed his latest crime but the court heard that prosecution had run out of time to charge him with the offence.

Papai, who represented himself with the support of an interpreter, pleaded guilty to drink driving and having no insurance.

He told magistrates: “These issues I have because of the alcohol. I haven’t been driving now for eight months and I am trying to quit alcohol.”

Papai was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to undertake 60 hours of unpaid work and participate in 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

In addition he was told he must take part in an alcohol treatment programme for nine months and pay £200 in costs and charges.