A BANNED motorist who clocked up his third drink driving offence has walked free from court.

Burnley magistrates heard how binge drinker Stuart Mathew Green, 20, was more than twice the limit after police found his car on its roof in the middle of the road in Waterfoot in the early hours.

He was already subject to a three year disqualification when he decided to run his girlfriend home but lost control of his vehicle.

Green, of Fairfield Avenue, Edgeside, who had been warned he could face jail, admitted driving with excess alcohol, driving while disqualified and using an uninsured vehicle, on May 14. He was given a 12 month community rehabilitation order, to include the Drink Impaired Drivers' Programme, was banned for three years and must pay £55 costs.

Mercedah Jabbari, prosecuting, said at about 3.34am police went to an accident on Burnley Road East. A blue Peugeot was on its roof and was badly damaged although nobody was in it.

Green was sitting on a wall nearby with a female and admitted he was the driver and was disqualified. He smelled strongly of drink, was unsteady on his feet and his eyes glazed. He was put in the police vehicle.

An ambulance arrived, treated Green and his girlfriend and the defendant was taken to hospital. There, an officer carried out a positive breath test. Green left before the police surgeon could arrive to take a blood test and was arrested. The lower of two police station tests showed 82 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35. He had two previous convictions for excess alcohol.

Janet Sime, defending, said Green had a history of depression and was on medication. Green had a chip on his shoulder because he thought he was the black sheep of the family although they did not see it that way. He was a binge drinker and suffered low self esteem.

Miss Sime continued: "Medication mixed with alcohol is a very dangerous thing. The defendant is all too aware he could have killed somebody and that is perhaps more frightening than a custodial sentence would be."

The solicitor said the defendant was so traumatised by what happened he had not got in a car since.