A DRIVER who was found to be nearly four times the legal drink limit told police he thought he had fallen asleep before crashing into three other vehicles.

Blackburn magistrates heard a witness following the car driven by Simon McDermott had seen it weaving from one lane to another and the driver appeared to be struggling to maintain a constant speed.

The car swerved and hit two parked cars before swerving violently in the opposite direction and hit a van which had stopped at the traffic lights.

McDermott, 33, of Epping Avenue, Accrington, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with a six months alcohol treatment requirement and a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay £85 costs and £115 victim surcharge.

He was banned from driving for 30 months.

Tracey Yates, prosecuting, said when police arrived McDermott initially denied being the driver. He said it had been his brother who had run off but admitted his guilt when the keys were found in his pocket.

"He said he works nights and hadn't slept before going to the pub to watch football," said Mrs Yates. "He thought he had probably fallen asleep."

Richard Prew, defending, said McDermott had been finding it difficult to cope since his Slovenian wife left him.

"As far as he knew the marriage was fine and the first he knew about any problems was when he got a message from her to say she was at the airport with their two four year old daughters and they were leaving the country. He hasn't seen either of them since and he accepts he lost the plot and started to drink heavily," said Mr Prew.