A drink-driver who crashed head on into another drink-driver on New Year’s Day has been handed a suspended sentence and a five-year driving ban.

Plasterer Kevin Paul Murphy failed a breathalyser test, with a reading of 112.

Murphy, aged 40, pleaded guilty to the offence as well as other offences of disorderly behaviour on licensed premises, resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly.

Magistrates sentenced him to a total of six months in custody, suspended for two years, and also ordered him to retake his test at the end of the ban, and complete a drink-driving rehabilitation course.

He was also made the subject of a two-year suspended sentence supervision order and ordered to pay £1,000 prosecution costs due to a Newton Hearing being held after Murphy disputed the prosecution facts.

We previously reported that the drink-driving offence was committed at Billown Dip when Murphy, who lives at Hillside Terrace, Dougas, crashed the Nissan Primastar van he was driving into a Nissan Navara at 3.15pm.

After being discharged from hospital he was taken to police headquarters where, at 6.31pm, he blew a reading of 86 during a breathalyser test. The legal limit is 35.

However, a back-calculation by an expert reported that the reading at the time of driving would have been 112 at the lowest.

Murphy disputed that the accident was his fault, caused by him crossing the centre line in the road, but he was found responsible after a Newton Hearing, which determines the facts of a court case.

Murphy was also arrested on December 19 last year after he refused to leave the Swan pub in Ramsey.

Police were called but he was said to have continued to argue and refuse to leave the pub.

beer garden

Murphy eventually moved to the beer garden but then would not leave that area despite officers pointing out he was still on the premises.

He then swore at police and became involved in a struggle with them, which resulted in him being put on the ground and Pava spray being used to restrain him.

On April 19 Murphy was arrested again after police spoke to him twice on North Quay in Douglas.

He was said to be aggressive and drunk and stayed despite warnings refused to leave the area.

Murphy then started wrestling with a male friend who had tried to move him away and was subsequently arrested again.

Defence advocate Paul Glover said: ’It’s safe to say there is a clear link of alcohol through his recent spate of offending.

’Shortly before the December offence he separated from his partner after 10 years together.

’The breakdown of the relationship hit him hard and obviously unsettled his life.

’His life was in turmoil. He had more time on his hands and unfortunately he turned to drink.

’The message has got through about drinking in moderation. There have been no further offences in six months now, which is a good start.’

The advocate went on to say that his client worked six days a week as a plasterer and could lose his accommodation if he was sent to custody.

Magistrates chair Julian Ashcroft told Murphy: ’These are all very serious offences and they all have one thing in common, alcohol.’

Magistrates ordered Murphy to pay the prosecution costs at a rate of £30 per week.

In May, we reported that the other drink-driver involved, Simon John Morris, aged 54, of Kerrowmoar, Sulby, was banned from driving for four years and sentenced to 12 months probation and 100 hours community service.