A drunk man who staggered into Albury's Harvey Norman store to try to buy a television drove there while five times the legal blood alcohol limit.
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Shane Archer agreed with magistrate Richard Funston's view that it appeared that he was an alcoholic.
"Mr Archer," Mr Funston asked the 49-year-old in Albury Local Court on Monday, "what sort of help are you getting from Gateway Health with your alcohol problem?"
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"I've striving for abstinence," the Wodonga man replied.
"That's what I'm trying to do."
Mr Funston said it had to be said that abstinence was often the only achievable goal.
"The reality is that some people just can't drink. Anybody who is presenting with a reading like this, that's five times the legal limit."
Archer's reading of 0.257 was reached as a result of him drinking, as he told police who arrested him, two litres of cask wine at home on April 25 between 9am and 2.30pm.
The court was told that Archer, of McEwen Crescent, drove his Toyota sedan to Harvey Norman about 3pm.
Police said Archer parked his car, got out and walked straight into the store.
"Staff observed the accused to be well-affected by intoxicating liquor and contacted police."
Police attended soon after, finding Archer sitting in the driver's seat of his car.
He smelt of alcohol and his speech was slurred.
Archer then provided a positive reading to a preliminary breath test, so was arrested and taken to Albury police station.
Mr Funston placed Archer on a 12-month community corrections order and disqualified him from driving for six months.
"If you breach this CCO you will go into custody."
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