A SHIFT worker was woken up by police who found him slumped in his car after drinking two cans of Stella.

Adam Makowski, 51, was parked in Clough Road, Colchester, waiting for his son to collect him when officers carried out their mobile patrols.

Ashley Petchey, prosecuting, explained the engine was running in Makowski’s Renault Captur and the lights were on.

He said: “He appeared unconscious in the driver’s seat and police could smell an intoxicating liquor.

“They turned the ignition and engine off, which turned the light on in the car, and woke the defendant up.

“His speech was slurred and police noticed an open can of Stella Artois in the middle console.”

The father-of-three was arrested and taken to Colchester police station.

Makowski, of Queen Mary Avenue, Colchester, was found to be more than double the drink driving limit at 77mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35.

When police found him, he had fallen asleep having walked an hour to the car after he realised he left his wallet in it.

The court heard the car had been parked since about 8pm that evening, following his cleaning shift in the Severalls industrial estate, before a friend drove him to his night job at an aluminium factory in Witham.

Makowski admitted drink driving but magistrates were told he had no intention of driving and could not recall turning the engine on.

Lucy Osborne, mitigating, said: “Rather than walk an hour back home, he called one of his sons to get him. He decided to drink while waiting causing him to fall asleep.

“The court proceedings has affected his mental health and he was anxious about coming to court.”

Speaking through a Polish translator, Makowski appealed to magistrates not to have his licence revoked.

They accepted a submission of exceptional hardship as a ban would also cost his wife her job and affect one of their children studying at university.

Makowski now has a total of ten points on his driver’s licence and must pay £327 in court costs.