A DRINK driver found himself in deep trouble after he gave the police his friend's name and address instead of his own to try and wriggle out of trouble.

Mateusz Klamanski, 24, from Newport had been at a Christmas party when he decided to leave to buy cigarettes.

He was caught by officers in his Smart car on the city’s Cardiff Road and gave a positive breath test when under the influence on December 23 last year.

Hannah Friedman, prosecuting, said he had lied to the cops by giving them the false name and address.

MORE NEWS: Man arrested for soliciting prostitute

He was released after spending five-and-a half hours in custody at Newport Central Police station before returning there a few days later with his mother to confess what he’d done. 

Klamanski claimed “he had no recollection of what had happened”, the city’s crown court was told.

Officers had not started to investigate his friend after being sent down a blind alley and the defendant was subsequently charged with perverting the course of justice.

Klamanski, of Darent Road, Bettws pleaded guilty to this offence and he also admitted a further charge of driving while disqualified.

He had one previous conviction for assault in Poland three years ago, Miss Friedman revealed.

The defendant was banned from driving for 17 months for the drink driving charge earlier this year after he admitted driving with 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge for that matter.

Jac Brown representing Klamanski said: “He panicked and this was a spur of the moment decision.

“It was the most stupid mistake he has done.”

His barrister asked the court to take into account the current prison overcrowding crisis and spare his client immediate custody.

Mr Brown added there was “genuine remorse” shown by the defendant and that he had displayed “a lack of maturity”.

The judge, Recorder David Warner, told Klamanski his offending was so serious that only a jail sentence was appropriate.

However, he said he was prepared to suspend his three-month prison term for 18 months despite him starting to amass a set of serious convictions for someone so young.

The defendant was ordered to carry out 170 hours of unpaid work and complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Klamanski was also ordered to pay £1,000 costs and fined £170.

He was banned from driving for nine months.