A Ramsey motorist has been fined £900 and banned from driving for 18 months after crashing his car and leaving the scene after drink driving.

Prosecutor Barry Swain said a call was received by emergency services on October 8 at 3.30am from a member of the public reporting a car crash at Ballure Road in Ramsey.

Police found a Ford Focus owned by Dean Richard Tate, of Eskdale Apartments, in the middle of the road and substantial damage to railings and wall of the property Sea Cliff. A porch window had also been broken.

Tate, aged 21, was located at his home address. He was arrested and said he had consumed his last drink five hours ago. He failed a subsequent breathalyser test with a reading of 46 - the legal limit is 35.

Tate handed in a prepared statement saying he had crashed the car then went to a friend’s flat and drank a can of Carling. The blood test produced a result of 101 - the legal limit is 80. A doctor’s report said Tate would still have been over the limit despite the post-driving consumption.

Advocate Paul Glover said: ’During the course of the evening Mr Tate had consumed alcohol but believed he had left a suitable amount of time for it to be out of his system. But clearly that wasn’t the case.

’The offence did take place late at night when the roads were quiet so the risk of other road users being involved was very low.’