A devastated father who went on a booze binge after discovering his daughter was not his own has been convicted of drink driving.
Ryan Thomas, 33, discovered the girl he had brought up for four years was not his child.
He had also been given the news that his father was terminally ill.
That evening he retreated to a pub where he 'drowned his sorrows' before getting behind the wheel of his silver Mercedes.
The caravan park warden was then pulled over by police on a busy A-road less than a mile from his home in the rural village of Wool, Dorset, on April 18.
A breathalyser test revealed he'd drank almost twice the legal limit of 35mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, leading officers to arrest him.
Andrew Newman, prosecuting, told Weymouth Magistrates' Court: "Police pulled him over and said his eyes were clearly glazed over.
"He was given a breathalyser test, which he failed and was arrested.
"The defendant has a recent drink driving conviction from February 2019 - where he completed a drink driver rehabilitation course."
Des Reynolds, mitigating, told magistrates his client fully cooperated with police.
He said: "Before his arrest he went to a pub and drank alcohol after finding out his dad was terminally ill and the girl he had been caring for for around four years was not his daughter.
"He gave full co-operation with police once pulled over.
"It was a case of drinking his sorrows. Since being arrested the news had been preying on his mind, which he has since had counselling for and he fully accepts the consequences of his actions.
"He's a warden at a caravan park, but he has been informed he will keep his job if he's banned from driving."
Magistrate Robert Ford banned Mr Thomas from driving for 40 months.
He said: "This sentence is aggravated by the fact this is the second drink driving offence within the last two-and-half years.
"Clearly taking the drink drive course the first time did not work."
Thomas, who pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving, was also fined £425 fine, £85 court costs and a victim surcharge of £43.
