A driver who was drinking a bottle of rum in his car, then drove, has been fined £1,500 and banned from the roads for two years.

Fifty-nine-year-old Simon Edward Charles Kush admitted drink-driving and was also ordered to take an extended test at the end of his ban.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that the defendant drove his Jaguar to Spar at Port Jack on December 30 at 2pm.

He bought a 70cl bottle of rum and then drove to one of the car parking spaces on Douglas Promenade where he was seen drinking alcohol.

He then drove home, to Mullen Doway in Union Mills, but had difficulty getting out of the car and fell over.

He was unable to get up and called emergency services.

Mr Swain said that it was unclear if Kush’s fall had been due to the alcohol or infirmity.

Kush told paramedics that he’d been drinking and he was later arrested.

A breathalyser test produced a reading of 73, above the legal limit of 35, but the defendant was said to have consumed alcohol after driving, so a back calculation report assessed the reading at 60.

When interviewed, Kush said he had drunk around half or three quarters of the rum in his car.

Defence advocate Lawrie Gelling said that it was her client’s own admissions about drinking which had led to him being arrested.

Ms Gelling said that, on the day of the offence, Kush had turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism while dealing with issues but had since self-referred to Motiv8 and stopped drinking.

Magistrates also ordered him to pay £420 for the back calculation report and £125 prosecution costs.

He will pay at a rate of £15 per week, deducted from benefits.