A CAR salesman crashed his car twice after making the “foolish” decision to drive home from a drinking session at the home of a friend.

Blackburn magistrates heard Thomas Tuley crashed into parked cars and then a wall outside his home during a journey of less than a mile.

He later gave a breathalyser reading which more than three times the legal limit.

Tuley, 27, of Dixon Street, Barrowford, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and made subject to a community order with 20 days' rehabilitation and 150 hours' unpaid work. He was banned from driving for three years.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said police responded to a report of a crash in Belmont Terrace, Barrowford on November 21, during the second national lockdown.

A car owned by Tuley had collided with parked vehicles. Police went to his address where his car had also crashed into a wall and it was extensively damaged.

“He was arrested within 10 minutes of the collision on Belmont Terrace,” said Mr Robinson.

He said Tuley, who had a previous excess alcohol conviction nine years ago, gave a reading of 128 against the legal limit of 35.

Sean Finnegan, defending, said Tuley had worked for a local car dealership for seven years and was highly regarded at work.

“He has set up his own business called Ribble Valley Spas which he has been doing for eight months,” said Mr Finnegan. “The driving ban will make life difficult for him but he has been told his job is secure.”

Mr Finnegan said when he went to his friend’s house for a drink his client had no intention of driving home. “He made a very poor decision,” said Mr Finnegan. “The journey home was well under a mile and he could easily have walked. He has not touched alcohol since.”