A DRINK drive dad whose van came off the road on the way to see his sick daughter has avoided prison.

Leigh Hardwick was heading to Witham when he lost control of his Renault Trafic in Colchester Road, Tiptree, in January.

Although no-one was hurt, he was more than three times the legal drink driving limit and arrested.

Hardwick’s roadside test measured 121 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Mark Pearson, mitigating, said: “Mr Hardwick was at home alone, his new partner is a nurse and was at work.

“He received a phone call from his ex-partner, who he has two children with, to say she was going to take his youngest daughter to hospital.

“He accepts it was the wrong decision to drive to see if he could assist, but he didn’t intend to drink and drive.

“He doesn’t know how the van came off the road.

“Maybe it was connected with the alcohol.

“There was no accident as such or damage to the vehicle, him or other road users.

“The police were called and he waited with the van until they arrived.”

The 40-year-old roofer admitted driving a motor vehicle while over the limit at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

He was banned from driving for 29 months.

Mr Pearson added that as a result he would now be reliant on his partner’s salary.

His last conviction was in 2013 for an offence in November 2012, but when he appeared at court this time, he faced spending five weeks in custody.

Instead, chairman of the bench, Bonnie Hill, gave him a reprieve.

She ordered him to serve a 12-month community order including 180 hours of unpaid work.

Hardwick, of Gosbecks Road, Colchester, will also pay a total of £170.

Ms Hill told Hardwick: “It was a very, very high reading and the bench were entitled to disqualify you for between 29 and 36 months.

“I have decided to disqualify you for 29 months - the minimum time.

“By attending a drink drive rehabilitation course by November 24 2019, you can reduce your disqualification by 29 weeks.

“The course will last 16 hours and you will have to pay for it yourself.”