Leudis Alarcon Montoya drove the wrong way down the M1 on Gold Coast while drunk on wine before motorists forced him to stop

A former teacher who escaped Cuba by swimming to Guantanamo drove the wrong way down the M1 while drunk before he was boxed in by concerned motorists.

A former teacher who escaped Cuba by swimming to Guantanamo was pinged drunk behind the wheel when he drove down the M1 the wrong way at 3am.

Leudis Alarcon Montoya claimed he had consumed only two glasses of wine the previous night, yet recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.176 per cent.

The 37-year-old was only stopped on the Pacific Motorway at Ormeau about 3am on December 18 when other motorists boxed his car in and took his keys.

Alarcon Montoya pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Thursday to dangerous operation of a vehicle while intoxicated.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Dave Shelton said multiple motorists called police to say a car was being driven the wrong way down the M1.

Police said Alarcon Montoya’s speech was slurred.

“He stated he had consumed two glasses of wine between 8am and 9pm the previous night,” he said.

“He could not remember where he had been drinking as it was at a house-warming party.”

Magistrate Lousia Pink fined Alarcon Montoya $2000 and disqualified him from driving for nine months.

“Other travellers were so concerned they boxed you in and took your keys, which is to their credit,” she said.

Defence lawyer India Brady, of Bamberry Lawyers, said Alarcon Montoya usually got lifts when he had consumed alcohol.

She said he had trained as a teacher in Cuba and taught for four years until in 2012 he and friends swam to Guantanamo for a better life.

He obtained refugee status and moved to the Gold Coast. He builds structures from aluminium.

Ms Brady said Alarcon had four children and his wife was pregnant with their fifth child.

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