A STRUGGLING father ploughed through a lamppost after sinking “seven or eight” pints and getting behind the wheel of his car.

Graham Davies, 30, told police he “panicked” and fled the scene after police received a tipoff about a crash in Harwich.

Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard the informant reported a vehicle had hit a wall and a lamppost before leaving the scene.

Bethany Richards, prosecuting, said: “The informant gave a registration number.

“Police officers attended the address where the vehicle was registered, and noticed the vehicle had damage to the front nearside.”

Dock worker Davies immediately confirmed to police he had been driving the car and confessed he had been drinking since 2pm that day.

He failed a breath test, recording 68mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

In interview, Davies said he had drunk seven or eight pints before leaving his sister-inlaw’s address.

He told police he had “panicked” after hitting the lamppost and had left the scene.

He admitted charges of drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Positive character references were read in open court, written by a parish council chairman, a serving police officer and Davies’ wife.

They detailed how he had suffered with mental health issues, depression and emotional intensity disorder, and described how the offence was “totally out of character”.

Lucy Lavender, chairwoman of the bench, said: “I don’t think we need to tell you how serious this offence is.

“I have heard from your solicitor you are extremely remorseful.

“You managed to destroy, almost entirely, a lamppost, but it could have been a person, it could have caused a fatality.”

Davies, of Bernard Mews, Harwich, was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work, banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay £200 in court costs.