THIS is the wreckage of former Saints captain Claus Lundekvam’s car following a motorway smash when he drove after downing more than a bottle of wine.

Lundevkam, 36, failed to stop at the scene after crashing into the back of a Citroen van close to junction 9 of the M3 near Winchester.

Police tracked him down to a Homebase car park about a quarter-of-a-mile away where they found his crumpled Audi Quattro Q7. He had approached staff at a nearby Shell petrol station pleading for help.

Officers found him leaning against a lamppost, “smelling very strongly of alcohol”, prosecutor Claire Hartman told Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court.

Lundekvam at first refused to confirm to police he was the driver. But after giving a breath test which showed a reading of 93mg per 100ml of breath – about two-and-a-half times the legal drink drive limit of 35mg– the former Norwegian international confessed all.

The driver of the Citroen van was rushed to hospital needing stitches to his head and has been left suffering from headaches and dizziness for which he takes painkillers and was due to have further checks.

Lundekvam was yesterday banned from getting behind the wheel for 28 months after admitting drink driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

The father-of-two was also ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work as part of a 12- month community sentence handed down by magistrates.

Sentencing Lundekvam, chairman of the bench Gwen Shaw, told him: “The purpose of this sentence is public protection.”

In mitigation, Lundekvam’s solicitor Adam Norris, said he had not fled the scene, but breached a legal technicality by not remaining there.

He explained how Lundekvam had earlier attended a charity golf day at East Horton Golf Club, in aid of Hampshire Autistic Society for which his is an ambassador.

Mr Norris said he had not intended to drink, but changed his mind after a friend offered him a lift home.

However, he was left stranded and took the “irrational, illogical and intoxicated decision to use his car” and got lost making his way back to Chilworth, near Southampton.

Mr Norris said Lundekvam was of “positive good character”, who gives “unstintingly of his time, energy and money to good causes”.

He said he had been “shocked” by his behaviour and understood he had let down people who looked up to him as a role model.

Mr Norris urged magistrates not to hand down an overly harsh penalty because his client was “high profile”.

“The greatest penalty he’s suffered is the complete loss of face,” Mr Norris said.

He added as a retired professional sportsman Lundekvam had no regular income and was living off investments that were going through a “rough patch”. Magistrates ordered him to pay £43 in costs.

Lundekvam made 420 appearances during his 12 years at Saints, retiring last year. He declined to comment before leaving court by a back door