A taxi driver caught driving after he downed four whiskies following a bereavement has lost his licence.

Transport Malta had suspended Mauro Caruana’s licence and refused to renew it so he took the case to a tribunal, which also ruled against him.

The tribunal heard Mr Caruana held a licence allowing him to drive white taxis and white vans and he subsequently obtained a permit for garage hire. He had been working as a driver for 45 years.

Earlier this year, he applied with Transport Malta to have these licences renewed but was turned down because he was “not of good conduct”.

The authority based its decision on a court judgment in which Mr Caruana had been found guilty of driving while under the influence of alcohol in January last year in Kirkop. He was fined €1,200 and his driving licence was suspended for six months.

He contested the decision, telling the tribunal he was at a party and had been pressured into drinking four shots of whisky. He said he did not usually drink more than a bottle of beer but had drunk the whisky because he was mourning the death of a relative, aged just 41.

The tribunal, presided over by Magistrate Gabriella Vella, noted that while his state was understandable, there was no excuse for drink-driving.

He had been stopped by the police and, after being subjected to a breathalyser test, had been found to be over the alcohol limit.

Magistrate Vella said Mr Caruana should have chosen not to drive once he knew he was not in a fit state.

She said the tribunal saw no reason to overturn Transport Malta’s decision not to renew his licence since he had been found guilty of breaching traffic regulations, bringing him into disrepute.