A banned motorist who was caught drink-driving has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Ryan Moore, of Loch Promenade, Douglas, failed a breathalyser test on August 24 with a reading of 62 - the legal limit is 35.

He admitted drink-driving and driving while disqualified, as well as having no insurance.

Magistrates sentenced the 32-year-old to eight months’ custody, suspended for two years and also made him the subject of a two-year suspended sentence supervision order.

He was also banned from driving for four years.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that Moore was stopped by police on Peel Road in Douglas while driving a Ford Focus.

He admitted to police he had been drinking and also told them that he was disqualified. A breathalyser test at police headquarters produced the result of 62.

Moore said that he had bought the vehicle that morning and decided to move it from the promenade to his father’s home to avoid the temptation of driving.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood said that it was appreciated that his client was on a knife edge when it came to a custodial sentence.

Mr Wood said that his client was born in the island but had lived in Scotland before moving back here for a fresh start.

Moore was said to have been disqualified from driving in Glasgow.

Mr Wood described his client’s decision to drive as foolish but said that Moore had received details of a friend’s death that day.

’All the progress he felt he’d made dropped away,’ said the advocate. ’He made the wrong choice of trying to deal with that pain by turning to drink.’

Mr Wood said Moore got a job and had recently raised cash for charity.

Magistrates said they had been persuaded by the advocate to suspend Moore’s sentence.

Moore was also fined £400 for having no insurance and must retake his test at the end of the ban.