A drink-driver has been given a suspended jail sentence after police found him behind the wheel of his pal's car in Carlisle while over the limit by more than three times.

John Heath Foy, 36, who already had two drink-related driving offences on his record, later told police officers that he had borrowed his friend's Kia Rio car so that he could go to the shops. He admitted a single offence of drink driving.

John Moran, prosecuting, said police were looking for the car on August 5 because there was a suspicion that it had been taken without consent.

They caught up with the defendant in Warwick Road, Carlisle, at 1.10pm and it was immediately clear to the police officers involved that Foy had been drinking. A breath test revealed a reading of 116mcg in 100mls of breath.

The legal limit is 35mcg.

There was no evidence in the end that the car was taken without the owner's consent.

Steven Marsh, for the defendant, who lives at Parkhead, Brampton, said he had been suffering from long-term depression and he fully accepted being alcohol dependent.

“When his [last] disqualification ended on June 16,” said the lawyer, “he had not driven apart from on this one occasion. He drinks every day.

“On this particular day, he was at a friend's house, and he stupidly took his car, with his friend's permission, to go to the shops. He drove a relatively short distance. And there was no evidence of bad driving.

“He accepts that it was a stupid thing to have done.”

A Cumbria Probation Service officer in court said the defendant had emotional issues which went back to his childhood, and he had suffered considerable trauma.

It was serious enough for him to have not completed his education. Yet he had been given no counselling or theraputic support.

In recent months, Foy, who is currently living with his parents, had gone to college and he now hoped to work in IT. The officer said the defendant represented a medium risk of reoffending.

The probation officer said that during her interview with Foy he had expressed clear remorse and regret for his actions that day.

District Judge Gerald Chalk told Foy: “It's the third time that we know of when you have driven a motor vehicle when you shouldn't have. It creates an obvious potential risk to other road users. You comply with court orders but you don't learn the lessons from them.”

The judge imposed 70 days prison, but suspended the term for a year. Foy must also do 30 days of rehabilitation. He was also given a five year driving ban.

The judge added that the DVLA would probably not return the defendant's licence to him until they had medical evidence that his drinking was no longer a problem.