A MAN drove after sampling strong booze at a popular food festival in Huddersfield.

James Shaw, of Moor Lane in Netherton, attended the town’s Food and Drink Festival last August.

He tried some of the beer before driving to the Aspley branch of Asda.

But police were called after the 59-year-old hit a parked car while reversing into a space.

Shaw had denied drink-driving but changed his plea to guilty a day before the trial.

Marina Hunter-Grey, prosecuting, said that the incident happened during the evening of August 10.

She said that police attended at the supermarket’s car park after Shaw hit the vehicle with his Kia.

Ms Hunter-Grey said that Shaw provided a positive breath test.

He provided further blood samples and this showed that he had namely 84 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80mg.

Jonathan Slawinski, mitigating, said that his client changed his plea after instructing an expert to analyse his blood sample.

He explained that on the day his client had been to the town centre festival with his wife.

Mr Slawinski said: “The arrangement was that he drives there and she drives back.

“He had one pint of 4.9% beer and his wife was drinking a half pint of beer.

“She felt ill and therefore he agreed to take over the driving.

“He finished the remainder of her half and it was pretty strong.”

The solicitor said that when Shaw nudged another car at the store a staff member was alerted who called police.

Shaw was banned from driving for 12 months.

He was also fined £235 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.