A drink-driver who scraped railings then mounted a kerb has been handed a suspended sentence and banned from driving for five years.

Callum Nicholas North had taken his auntie’s car without consent and also had no driving licence or insurance. After the 38-year-old admitted all the offences, Deputy High Bailiff James Brooks sentenced him to four months custody, suspended for one year.

He was also made the subject of a 12-month suspended sentence supervision order.

We previously reported how North was seen driving a silver Volvo V70 on August 2 at 5.53pm coming out of Cronkbourne Village.

A witness described his driving as slow and said that he narrowly missed a central reservation, then scraped the car against railings.

The Volvo was then seen at Tromode Road where it mounted a kerb which caused a tyre to burst, and the car to come to rest in a layby.

North was then seen staggering to the passenger side of the car. He was arrested and admitted to police that he had been driving and that he did not have permission to take the car.

He also confessed that he didn’t have a licence.

After failing a roadside breathalyser test he was taken to police headquarters where he blew the 94 reading. The legal limit is 35.

When interviewed he answered ‘no comment’ to all questions.

The owner of the car said that North was her nephew and had access to her house as he had been decorating. North was said to have a previous relevant conviction in the UK.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood handed in letters of reference for his client and said that North, who lives at Victoria Road in Douglas, had paid for the damage caused to the car.

Mr Wood asked for credit to be given for his client’s admissions to police and his guilty pleas.

The advocate said that North had had difficulties in his past which he would not go into in open court.

‘This is a man who has struggled and taken various paths which have not been of assistance to him,’ said Mr Wood.

‘I would submit he is doing a good job in trying to change the direction of his life.’

The advocate went on to say that North was engaging with Motiv8 and wanted to address his issues.

He said: ‘We would ask the court to impose a sentence that allows him to take the benefit of assistance offered by probation.’

Deputy High Bailiff Mr Brooks told North: ‘Although the reading was not the highest, the standard of your driving was frankly awful.

‘Everybody involved should be thankful you hit street furniture rather than anything else.’

North was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs by the end of November and take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.