Drink driver who crashed into car told 'alcohol is not the answer'

31-year-old banned from road for five years

A Ramsey man has been banned from the road for five years after crashing his work van into a parked car whilst drunk.

Ian Matthew Moore, of Brookfield Avenue, didn’t stop or report the incident.

He admitted the offences during an appearance at Douglas Courthouse this week.  

Police were called to Queen’s Court, in the northern town, just after midnight on 13 November to reports that his van had struck a Nissan Qashqai.

The car had spun 45 degrees, suffered heavy impact damage and damaged a wall in the process.

Officers found a broken numberplate on the ground which belonged to Moore’s vehicle and, after making enquiries, located the 31-year-old asleep at his home address.

He was arrested and taken to Police Headquarters where tests showed he was three times over the drink drive limit.

Moore told officers: "I had too much to drink and I thought I’d drive the van home."

Explaining that he’d consumed eight pints, a cocktail and a bottle of whiskey in the day, he put himself at 11 on the drunkenness scale of 1-10.

"Too frequently people of otherwise good character appear before me." – High Bailiff Jayne Hughes

During sentencing a probation officer told the court Moore was very 'distressed' and remorseful about appearing in court adding: "His actions were out of character."

She described how Moore had been in a 'low' place prior to the incident and ‘everything had imploded’ adding: "He felt like his life was somehow going backwards."

Ordering Moore to carry out 180 hours of community service High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told him it was a ‘moment of madness’ for 'no clear reason' adding: "Alcohol is not the answer to anything – it makes things worse not better."

Moore will be disqualified until he’s taken and passed an extended driving test and a drink drive rehabilitation course.

He will also have to pay prosecution costs of £125.