A DRINK driver who was almost four times over the limit crashed into the central reservation of the Aire Valley trunk road at Cross Hills, a court heard.

Luke Watson, 25, who narrowly avoided being sent to prison, had suffered a ‘catastrophic aberration’’ when he got behind the wheel of his Toyota Yaris on May 25, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

Police, called to reports of a single car accident on the A629, at about 8.30pm, found the vehicle stationary and sideways on the road.

It had hit the central reservation and there was debris for about 100 yards along the road, the court heard on Friday.

Watson was clearly intoxicated, was behaving unpredictability and initially gave officers the wrong name.

After providing a positive roadside test he was arrested and taken to the police station where he was found to have 137 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Watson, of previous good character, admitted drink driving.

In mitigation, Keith Blackwell said Watson was full of remorse. He had not drunk a lot immediately before, and believed that alcohol had built up in his system. It was fortunate that no one had been injured, and he accepted his conduct had been very poor and he should not have been driving.

In a pre sentence report, the court heard Watson had claimed to have drunk about 50 pints of alcohol in the five days before the accident.

He had been a ground worker and was now doing agency work in a factory, and working nights. He had been drinking too much following the death of his father and the break up of a relationship, but had now reduced his alcohol consumption.

Magistrates told Watson, of Broomhill Avenue, Keighley, that he had come very close to being sent to prison and that he was being given a community order as a direct alternative to custody.

He will have to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, complete up to 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and complete six months of alcohol treatment.

He was also banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £95. If he completes a drink driver rehabilitation course, his ban will be reduced by 30 weeks.