A last-minute decision to drive rather than cycle to a garage for cigarettes landed a Carlisle man on a drink drive charge.

Philip Moxon, 38, of Richardson Street, Denton Holme, came a cropper when he lost control of his Audi and crashed into a parked vehicle on Langrigg Road in Morton, at 1.30am on June 9.

Both cars were so badly damaged by the accident they were written off, the city’s magistrates court heard.

Moxon admitted drink driving and failing to stop after a road accident. When police traced him and arrived at his address, he initially refused to let them into his house, said prosecutor Peter Kelly.

After he relented, the officers breathalysed him and found that he was just over twice the drink drive limit.

He explained that he and his wife had been to a concert at the Sands Centre in Carlisle but said his memory of what happened was a blur.

John Smith, for Moxon, said the accident happened on the eve of his client’s birthday and he and his wife had gone out to celebrate.

After she went to bed at midnight, he decided to go out to buy some cigarettes from a local garage.

“He was going to cycle and had got the bicycle out of the shed, but he changed his mind and decided to go by car,” said Mr Smith.

The lawyer said Moxon had apologised to the man whose car was wrecked – somebody he knew. That car was worth £500, he said.

District Judge Gerald Chalk imposed a 20 month ban, a £350 fine for failing to stop after the accident, and a £400 fine for drink driving, along with costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £40.