Solicitor Charles Aitken said in Albury Local Court yesterday Todd Sydney Peter Williams had bought the car as a late Christmas present for his partner.

The problem was he was nabbed by police when he drove it a short distance to deliver it after drinking alcohol.

Mr Aitken said Williams, banned from driving until 2016, and his partner had five children.

“All of this was an act of selfless to aid his family,” Mr Aitken said when applying for bail.

But police opposed bail, saying Williams, 27, of Plover Street, who had only been released from jail in January, was on parole and had previously spent time in custody for traffic offences.

Williams was charged with disqualified driving, driving with the middle range prescribed concentration of alcohol and driving and unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

Magistrate Tony Murray refused bail and adjourned the case until Monday.

He was told in tendered facts that police had been patrolling Douglas Road at Lavington about 8.20pm on Thursday night when they saw a small Daewoo car.

They intended stopping it so the driver could be given a random breath test.

The car turned into Webb Street and then McMaster Avenue before Williams jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran towards the side gate of a house.

Police managed to stop him and quickly realised he smelt of alcohol.

They said Williams then said “you got me” and admitted that he didn’t have a licence.

He agreed he had been driving the vehicle which belonged to his mother-in-law.

The registration had expired on December 16, 2010, and a later breath analysis of Williams gave a reading of 0.094.

He told police that he had consumed five stubbies of heavy beer at the Lavington house of his cousin.

A check revealed that Williams was disqualified from driving on June 20, 2006, and that ban extended until 2016.