A NORTHWICH man who was more than three times over the drink-driving limit when he crashed into the A533 roundabout in Moulton has been allowed to walk free from court.

Timothy Fritts, 29, from Royle Street, went out drinking in Northwich town centre on July 13, and by his own admission made a ‘stupid decision’ to drive home.

He crashed his Renault Clio into the roundabout along the A533 near Moulton and denied to police that he was driving the car, saying instead that it had been stolen.

He later admitted that he was in fact driving the car, after forensic blood samples from the steering wheel airbag proved to contain Fritts’ DNA.

Fritts appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 14.

He was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for one year and a 52-month driving ban, as well as being ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £200 in total of court costs and victim surcharge.

Defending Fitts, Anthony Derbyshire, said: “At that stage Mr Fritts had just been informed that his mother was terminally ill with cancer and had split up with his partner of six years. It was a bad time for him and he sought solace in drink.”

This is Fritts’ third drink-driving offence this year, with the incident he was last convicted for, in August, coming a week after his A533 crash.

Fritts measured a breath test of 111 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, with the limit being 35 micrograms.

Chair magistrate, Mrs Dorothy Evans, said: “We do feel that given your past history this event does pass the custody threshold, however your sentence will be suspended.”