A local man has been disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined £400 for drink driving.

James Azzopardi, 26, was sentenced by the Magistrates’ Court this morning.

In addition, he was given a sentence of 180 hours for Possession of a Class A Drug – cocaine – and no separate penalty for Possession of a Class A Drug, MDMA.

His sentencing follows an incident just after 4am on Saturday April 24 this year, when night shift officers spotted Azzopardi riding his motorcycle slowly and swerving in the area of Waterport roundabout and into Corral Road.

As it reached the motorcycle parking bay next to Ocean Restaurant, he almost collided with the concrete parking slabs.

On being stopped and spoken to by officers, they could smell alcohol on his breath. Azzopardi then blew 73ug on the road side breathalyser and was arrested on suspicion of Driving with Alcohol Concentration over the Limit.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms (ug) of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

He then tried to dispose of the drugs by dropping them through the grill of a manhole cover in front of officers – and was further arrested for Possession of the Class A Drugs.

If anyone has concerns about a person driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can call the RGP in confidence on 200 72500 or 199 in emergencies.