A former Watford councillor caught driving over the legal limit just days after receiving a drink-driving ban has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Dacorum magistrates imposed a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for two years on Hugh O’Hanlon, 56. The father of two was also disqualified from driving for a total of 57 months.

O’Hanlon, who resigned from the borough council after he was suspended by his leading Liberal Democrat party, will be supervised by probation for two years and must carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

O’Hanlon was caught almost three times over the legal limit behind the wheel of a Fiat Punto on Thursday, June 19.

O’Hanlon, of Radlett Road, Watford, pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving without insurance at Watford Magistrates Court a month later on Tuesday, July 15.

At the hearing the former Tudor ward councillor was given an ‘interim disqualification’ while reports were compiled for sentencing.

However, in the meantime O’Hanlon was caught by police in the same vehicle driving over the limit on Monday, July 28 – just 13 days later.

This time O’Hanlon admitted driving while disqualified, driving over the limit and driving without insurance. The offence saw O’Hanlon, who had vowed to represent his constituency as an Independent, resign from the council.

Tony Irving, defending, on Tuesday said his client, who had a previous drink driving conviction in 1999, was of “positive good character” and asked the court not to jail him.

The chairman of the bench Mr Greenwold said the offences were so serious custody was the only answer, but that it would be suspended for two years.