A MALVERN man who got behind the wheel after drinking to cope with a family illness has been disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Jeremy Hyland, of Meadow Street Court, was spotted by police officers sat in the driver’s seat of a parked car in North Malvern quarry car park at 11.45pm on Thursday, August 30.

Sarah Stock, prosecuting, said it became apparent to the officers that the 44- year-old had been drinking.

He later admitted to drinking three cans of lager.

Defending himself, Hyland said: “It was completely out of character for me to drink and drive.

“My mother has been diagnosed with leukaemia, so I wasn’t in a very good state of mind that night.”

Hyland was found to have 44mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, while the legal limit is 35mcg. He was also fined £100 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £15.