Drink-driver ended up in ditch at side of Burnley road

Dumitru Stancu (30) who was almost twice the legal limit, walked off with his passengers as a member of the public came across the car with smoke coming from it, stuck in a bog.

Unemployed Stancu, a Romanian national, who was assisted at the hearing by an interpreter, blew 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath at the police station.

The legal limit is 35. He has now been banned for 18 months, after the crash last December 27th.

Mrs Alex Mann, prosecuting, told the town’s magistrates that in a statement, a passenger said she had been in a nightclub in Burnley centre, left at 7-30am and got in the vehicle with her friend. She didn’t know the driver.

The prosecutor continued: "She says she didn’t know he had been drinking. He seemed fine, but took one of the bends too sharply and the car went into a ditch.”

Mrs Mann said a member of the public came across the vehicle, with lots of smoke coming off it. It appeared to be stuck in a bog and people were trying to get it out of the ditch.

She went on: "She rang the police as the people walked off. An officer turned up and came across a group of four people. The defendant said it wasn’t his car, it was his friend’s car, but he cooperated with all requests."

Mrs Mann added: "The passengers didn’t appear to know the risk they were putting themselves in.”

Mr Jeremy Frain, defending Stancu, said he cooperated with police.

The solicitor told the court: "He wishes, through me, to apologise to all concerned and to thank the police officers for their assistance in this matter.”

The defendant, of Gordon Road, Nelson, is on benefits.

He admitted driving with excess alcohol and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. He was fined £120 and must pay a £32 victim surcharge and £85 costs.