A drink-driver has been jailed for six weeks after he completed just two hours of a 140-hour community service order.

George Arthur Horner was ordered to do the unpaid work in August 2021 after crashing his car while more than double the drink drive limit.

But after hearing how much community service the 38-year-old had done, and that he had been late paying a fine, High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told him: ‘You showed a complete and brazen disregard for the orders of the court.

‘A clear message needs to be sent that there will be consequences, not only to you, but to anyone who ignores court orders.’

Horner was initially sentenced on August 10 last year, after he was seen driving on Douglas promenade on July 25.

He was seen clipping a roadworks cone in his Renault Megane as he drove at 3.30am.

A witness recorded video footage and called police, who found Horner sitting in the vehicle on Royal Avenue West in Onchan, where he lives.

He failed a breathalyser test with a reading of 95. The legal limit is 35.

When interviewed, Horner told police he had drunk ‘three or four beers’ before driving home.

The court heard that he had a previous similar conviction in 2002.

After being sentenced to the 140-hour community service order, Horner attended a two-hour induction on August 24 and signed the terms and conditions of the order.

However, he failed to attend a workgroup on November 14 and November 28.

He then failed to attend a meeting with probation services on December 9.

Horner then didn’t turn up for another workgroup on December 12 and two further meetings on December 20 and 31. He made no contact with probation about his absences.

Horner claimed that he had not received some letters regarding the community service and that he felt very anxious at the time.

But he was said to have provided conflicting information from a doctor, who said that he had a hand condition, and his employer, who said that he was working six days a week in the building industry.

The court heard that he had also failed to pay £740 in fines which had resulted in a warrant being issued. Horner had then paid the fines to avoid going to immediate custody.

Defence advocate Jane Gray said that Horner was now prepared to take a week off work and do 50 hours community service in one week, and then every weekend thereafter.

Ms Gray said that Horner had said he would lose his home if he was sent to custody, but he had not provided any evidence of this.

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes said that she had sympathy with Ms Gray, trying to extract the truth from her client, and told Horner: ‘I always warn anyone made the subject of a community service order, if they breach that order they are likely to face custody.’

The community service order was revoked and replaced with the six-week jail sentence.