A DRUNK driver almost hit a pedestrian after mounting a verge, and left his passengers injured after smashing into another car.

Eion Richard Sean McPoland had almost three times the legal limit of alcohol in his breath when he was tested following the collision, Furness Magistrates' Court heard.

The 30-year-old, of Buccleuch Street, Barrow, appeared for sentencing on Thursday after pleading guilty earlier in the week.

Mr Peter Kelly, prosecuting, told the court how a pedestrian described McPoland's driving on August 6. The witness told how she heard a car approaching very quickly in Lesh Lane, Barrow.

The driver then mounted the grass banking she was standing on and almost hit her, before taking back to the road with a popped tyre.

Mr Kelly said: “She described the person driving as ‘off his head’.”

The witness estimated McPoland was driving at 50 to 60mph and told how a passenger in the back was screaming. She then heard a crash and, when she got to the scene, saw the defendant had hit a parked car in Hollow Lane. The person in the passenger seat had blood splattered on his face and there was glass in the road, she added, and there were only two people left in the car.

McPoland had been driving with 92 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, compared to the limit of 35, the court heard.

Mr Trystan Roberts, defending, told the court McPoland had made a full admission at the first opportunity and had shown “real remorse” from the outset. He added that the defendant had been going through a number of personal problems and had family difficulties.

Mr Roberts said: “It’s evident that he’s showing an enormous amount of remorse. One of the things he said to me is that one of the things he feels most uncomfortable about is that he could have hurt someone else.

“Since the incident he has not engaged in any alcohol consumption and he’s engaged with (recovery service) Unity in the hope his alcohol use will become non-existent.

“This is something that’s never happened before, that he bitterly regrets, and it’s something he takes full responsibility for.”

Sentencing McPoland, deputy district judge Derek French made it very clear the defendant was lucky not to be going to prison. Instead, he gave him a 12-week sentence suspended for 12 months.

McPoland was also ordered to take part in 30 days of rehabilitation and 100 hours unpaid work. He will pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs and is disqualified for three years.

Judge French said: “This is a heavy penalty and I hope this is some indication to you as to how close you’ve come today to an immediate custodial sentence.”