Last updated at 10:42, Thursday, 18 December 2008

A man who crashed his car while looking for a dog which escaped from his remote smallholding near Brampton has appeared in court for drink-driving.

Robert Skelton, 31, was found over the limit after his car was discovered in a ditch in September.

He was found by police soon afterwards, taking off his boots in the porch after walking the mile back to his home at Ruleholme.

He said he went to bed after having cider with his tea and had not intended to drive until a neighbour phoned saying a dog he lost had been spotted nearby.

“I was looking for my dog and drove into the dyke,” he told the officers.

Carlisle magistrates banned Skelton from driving for three years and jailed him for 120 days.

But at Carlisle Crown Court a judge said sending him to prison was against guidelines set by the Court of Appeal. Instead Skelton, who earns a living breeding dogs and chickens, must do 60 hours unpaid work and put under a three-month evening curfew.

First published at 09:03, Saturday, 06 December 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk