A Land-Rover Freelander driven by Alistair Crothers was travelling at 52mph in a 30mph zone when it was clocked by a police radar at 11am on 11th May.

Crothers (44) failed a roadside breath test and went on to give a reading of 109mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath –– more than three times the 35mcgs limit.

Crothers, of Jasmine Drive, admitted drink-driving and speeding at Tupton and had no previous convictions.

Chesterfield magistrates adjourned sentence for Probation service reports on Monday and warned he could be locked up at the next hearing on 23rd June.

In mitigation, Jessica Rogers said Crothers drank heavily at home on the night before the offence.

"The following morning someone phoned and said they had found a four-month-old puppy he had lost," she said.

"He got straight into the car to collect it, not thinking he could still be over the limit.

"He was driving somewhere to take it for a walk and the road was clear and he was going over the speed limit."

Miss Rogers said Crothers had an 'incredibly stressful' job as a project manager and large maintenance payments imposed on him by the Child Support Agency were causing further pressures.

He was off work with depression and stress and had been prescribed temazepam to help him sleep and referred to a counsellor.