A drink-fuelled motorist who knocked a young boy off his bike and then days later flipped the car he was driving onto its roof, has been jailed.

Robert Andrew Conway was nearly four times over the drink-drive legal limit when he struck the 10-year-old’s bike, before fleeing the scene.

The incident happened on July 23 and just 48 hours later, he was drunk back behind the wheel again, this time rolling the car he was driving.

The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident and two counts of drink-driving when he appeared in court on Friday.

West Cumbria Magistrates Court heard that Conway had been driving on Montreal Avenue, Cleator Moor, at around 2.30pm when the first incident took place.

When interviewed by the police Conway admitted he had been drinking but said he had not realised he had hit the bike as he thought he had stopped in time.

Luckily the young boy did not suffer any serious injuries. When breathalysed, Conway had 127 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

The court was told that before the second incident, Conway, who lives at Montreal Avenue, Cleator Moor, drove a Ford Focus after drinking one and a half bottles of wine.

At around 10.15pm, Conway flipped the vehicle onto its roof, while driving on Jacktrees Crescent, Cleator Moor.

This time he gave a roadside reading of 100mcg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Emily Smith, defending, said: “He believed at the time he had stopped in time and the young boy had bounced off the kerb and into him. He thought nothing of it and left the scene.

“He has some mental health difficulties and was using alcohol to self medicate. Mr Conway is extremely remorseful for his actions. Fortunately, the young lad was not more seriously injured.”

She added that Conway was “fully prepared” for a custodial sentence and had brought a bag of belongings with him to court.

When sentence was passed, Conway looked to the public gallery and nodded at his tearful mother.

Conway was given a total of 26 weeks in custody. He was disqualified from driving for five years and must complete an extended retest. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £122 surcharge to fund victim services.