A SOLICITOR has been banned from driving after being caught drunk in his Porsche.

Thomas O'Maoileoin, 45, was caught driving in his Porsche Cayenne on the road outside his outside his £1million detached home in Chelwood Gate, near Haywards Heath.

O'Maoileoin is a solicitor, who specialises in alcohol licensing law, had 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of breath when he was breathalysed by police on November 11.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving at Brighton Magistrates' Court last Thursday (Nov23) and was banned from the roads for 18 months and fined £2,492.

O'Maoileoin's convictions could jeopardise his career as solicitors have a duty to report any criminal convictions to the Solicitor's Regulation Authority, which could result in disciplinary action.

A spokesman for the SRA said: "If you are charged, arrested or convicted of and indictable offence, which drink driving is, you have a duty to tell us.

"You have to let us know. We will then take a view on whether the offence represents a risk to clients' trust that the public places in solicitors in your area of business.

"The first principle of being a solicitor is that you must uphold the rule or law."There are solicitors we have taken action against involved in drink driving cases."

O'Maoileoin is a partner at the firm Thomas and Thomas which is rated by legal firm ranking service Chambers and Partners as "London’s leading licensing practice" acting for "London's most exclusive bars, developers, hotels, landlords, members’ clubs, music festivals, nightclubs, pubs, restaurants, retailers, shopping centres and theatres."

O'Maoileoin qualified as a barrister in 1995 and solicitor in 2001. On his own professional profile he lists the Royal Household amongst his clients this year.

Other clients have included Oblix restaurant at the Shard, Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, The Groucho Cub and the Garrick.

The Argus made repeated attempts to speak to O'Maoileoin, but he did not respond.