A Bristol drink driver claimed he was over the limit because a friend had spiked his drink to make him feel better.

Stephen Hollow was upset because he had discovered his unborn baby had the birth defect spina bifida, and went to a friend's house for advice, a court heard.

But when he left he was stopped by the police and found to be nearly twice the legal limit.

Hollow, 30, of Silcox Road, Hartcliffe, previously pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and with no insurance.

He appeared at Bristol Magistrates' Court on Thursday for sentencing.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years and ordered he pay a £300 fine, £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Saed Jamal, prosecuting, said: "At 7.30pm on July 19, a mobile car was on police patrol.

"They saw the defendant driving a Ford Fiesta. It was going over the speed limit and the driver was not wearing his seat belt."

Police stopped the car and a roadside test showed Hollow had 64mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Hollow, representing himself, said: "I've been having a hard time lately. I'm a supervisor at my job, my girlfriend is pregnant and just learned the baby has got spina bifida. We have had lots of appointments with doctors, I was having a bad day.

"I went to clear my head. He [his friend] may have done a stupid thing. All he was trying to do was make me feel better. If I knew I was over the limit there was no way I would have driven the car."