A MAN who was found stuck in his vehicle after it went it into a ditch has been spared jail after he admitted being more than three times the drink drive limit.

Mark Lount, of Copper Beech Close in Broughton, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 63-year-old admitted that on July 3, he drive a motor vehicle on the B5129 in Saltney Ferry after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

He was found to have 119 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

Diane Williams, prosecuting, said on the day of the offence, North Wales Police was alerted to a single vehicle collision on Ferry Lane in Saltney Ferry.

When officers arrived, they found a Vauxhall Meriva front-end in a ditch.

Lount was inside and was surrounded by foliage, unable to get out.

Firefighters were also called but police managed to clear the foliage and it was clear the defendant was intoxicated, the court heard.

He smelled "heavily" of intoxicant and was slurring his words.

He was taken to the police station and provided the reading with which he was ultimately charged.

Wendy Shurrock, defending, said: "This defendant does apologise - he has been seeing a GP about his drinking.

"He is a steady drinker throughout the day.

"He is currently unemployed."

District Judge Gwyn Jones told him: "I take into account that you're a man who has never appeared before the court before.

"You have been in full time employment and have been able to work diligently over a number of years.

"I've taken into account the stress of caring responsibilities you have. The drinking has crept up and got the better of you."

The District Judge handed down a 12 week custodial sentence, but suspended it for 12 months.

He ordered the defendant to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £128.

The defendant was banned from driving for 30 months.