A STRANDED visitor to Carlisle was found ‘heavily intoxicated’ by police after smashing the window of a Botchergate pub in the middle of the night.

Edward Blackie, 50, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court after the incident, which happened at The Caledonian in the city centre.

Blackie caused £85’s worth of damage just after 1am on Tuesday, August 27. The court heard how Blackie was travelling by train from Edinburgh to London to visit family when he was ejected from the train by British Transport Police at Carlisle for being drunk and disorderly.

Magistrates heard the defendant was stuck in the city with no means of returning home that evening.

The defendant, , of Millerhill, Dalkeith, in Scotland, was found in the early hours with ‘cuts to his right hand’ and was ‘heavily intoxicated’ by police officers shortly after the window was damaged.

The presiding magistrate also heard how Blackie ‘didn’t recall the event’, and added while he hadn’t yet seen the CCTV footage, he did ‘accept full responsibility’ for what happened. He admited causing criminal damage and was ordered to pay an £85 fine, along with £85 in compensation to the pub.