[A] court has heard how police received a report of a road traffic collision on the A6 at Hackthorpe on the evening of August 13, when officers attended they found a Citroen C4 car had crashed near a corner and come off the road.
A witness at the scene told officers the driver had gone in to a nearby house.
When officers spoke to the driver, Paul Jonathan Murgatroyd, 44, of Bridge Street, Appleby-in-Westmorland, he said he had gone to a friend’s house to help him move the car.
He admitted to the officer he had drank around 6 or 7 pints of Fosters, he failed a road-side breath test and was arrested and taken to the police station.
At the police station he gave a further sample of breath which had a reading of 56mcrg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, the legal limit is 35mcrg.
Murgatroyd pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was very remorseful, he had been to a pub and was celebrating a family event, and had been bought drinks by friends and knows now he should have refused the drinks.
He lost control of the car on a left hand bend and came off the road the court heard.
Magistrates in Carlisle disqualified him for a period of 16-months, he was offered the drink drivers rehabilitation course which could reduce his ban by 16-weeks.
He was also fined £120 with prosecution costs of £85 with a £30 victims surcharge to pay.
