A 28-year-old man who drove after drinking has been sentenced to community service and banned from driving for three years.

Jamie Zach Ritchie, of Athol Street, Port St Mary, was in a Ford Focus with a friend taking turns to drive when they crashed into a wall.

Ritchie admitted the offence of driving while unfit and was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work by magistrates.

He must also pass an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

Prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that police were called to Alexander Road in Castletown on April 25 at 2.40am last year after a Ford Focus crashed into a wall at the junction with Milner Terrace.

When officers arrived they found Ritchie sitting in the passenger seat with Stephen Michael Creer, aged 21, of Malew Street, Castletown, in the driver seat.

Creer was dealt with in a separate court appearance in February and was fined £850 after admitting driving without insurance and having a defective tyre. His licence was also endorsed with 10 points.

Ritchie was said to be smelling of alcohol, slurring his words, and was wearing no shoes.

During a police interview he initially answered ’no comment’ to questions but then said that he had been drinking at a flat and that Creer had been driving.

He said they had gone for a drive around the block.

One of the tyres on the Focus was found to be devoid of tread.

However, both Ritchie and Creer later admitted that they had swapped seats and that Ritchie had been driving at one point, though it was not said who was driving at the time of the crash.

Defence advocate Laurence Vaughan-Williams asked for credit to be given for his client’s guilty plea.

Mr Vaughan-Williams said that his client also deserved credit for much more.

He said: ’There is great admiration for the plucky underdog in society - whether it be in Norman Wisdom films or Dad’s Army.

’I have to say when Mr Ritchie walked into my office after the offence he was a different man than he is today.

’It was open to him and his co-accused to stick to their story. There was no breath or blood taken. But there was a wrestle between good and evil.

’There was the voice of Mr Ritchie’s peers saying "you can get away with this", and then there was Mr Ritchie saying "tell the truth".’

Mr Vaughan-Williams said his client was unemployed at the time of the offence but had since been working with the Open University and had gained employment in a golf club restaurant, which he was trusted with opening.

’If anyone can be said to have turned his life around it is this defendant,’ said the advocate.

’He is a plucky underdog who has gained my respect. To use a boxing analogy, after the offence "the boy done well".’

Magistrates’ chair Lisa Horton told Ritchie: ’We do commend what you have managed to achieve and hope you will continue to do so. However, it was lucky it was a wall you hit and not a pedestrian or another car.’

Ritchie was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs which he will pay at a rate of £20 per week.