A DRINK driver told a court he was dying and begged magistrates not to jail him.

Paul Stanley Brown, 53, who told the court he is a former solicitor, said he had been given just a few weeks to live.

Brown, of Heatherbank, Burnley, had given a breath test of 130 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of breath on June 3 when taken to the police station -- the legal limit is 35, making him nearly four times over.

Brown, who was not represented, urged the court to ban him for life and fine him, but the bench said they wanted a pre-sentence report and all options would be open. He was told he might be going to prison.

The defendant, who has already been given an interim driving ban, was bailed until July 19 and told to produce his driving documents.

Brown has earlier admitted driving with excess alcohol and denied driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, using an uninsured vehicle and not having a test certificate.