AN EGREMONT man has been banned from driving for 40 months after crashing his car while double the drink-drive limit.

David Eric Sharples, 29, of The Hollies, appeared before magistrates in Workington where he denied the charges. He was found guilty by the court.

In court he claimed he had drunk half a bottle of vodka after the accident because he was shaken up.

Sharples, who is a self-employed HGV driver, had gone back to a friend’s house in Seascale after a night out at in Eskdale in October and wanted to drive home.

Witnesses said that Sharples was drunk and they had tried to stop him from getting into his car, but he managed to leave with another friend.

When he got to Gosforth Road, Seascale, he lost control of his Renault Clio and damaged three parked cars. He suffered head and arm injuries.

Sharples ran back to his friend’s house and she told him the police were on their way.

He was arrested and found to have 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Sharples claimed he had a couple of Budweisers before going to the pub and two pints of lager at the Woolpack.

He added that he stopped drinking at about 9pm and he drove at around 2am.

Ryan Foley, defending, said: “There’s no expert evidence to show he had drunk after the accident, but he has given an account about the amount of alcohol consumed and the driving took place hours later.”

Magistrates ordered Sharples to do 280 hours of unpaid work as well as giving him the driving ban.

He was ordered to pay £625 costs and £60 surcharge.