A CHARD man who lost control of his van and smashed into a wall, overturning the vehicle, was more than double the drink drive limit when he was cut free from the wreckage.

Clive Benham had offered to take a friend home after a night out drinking and playing pool.

However, on the way home Benham went down a road that was closed and then missed a turning, magistrates were told.

The court heard as a result, his van crashed into the wall, causing it to overturn and trapping the driver and the passenger.

Although his passenger managed to crawl free and escape the wreckage, the defendant had to be cut free by the emergency services when they arrived.

After he was freed, he gave a blood sample and was found to be over the drink drive limit.

Benham, 53, of Watermead, Tatworth, pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle at Wadeford, near Chard, on September 24 after consuming excess alcohol when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

Christine Hart, prosecuting, said that Benham was driving his van at 11.40pm towards Wadeford when he collided with a wall, overturned the vehicle and was trapped in the driver’s seat.

His passenger managed to climb out and left, and the emergency services were called and cut him free from the van.

The court heard after he was freed from the van, he was taken to hospital.

“While he was there a blood sample was taken which gave a reading of 172mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, the legal limit being 80mg of alcohol,” she said.

“When Benham was interviewed by police, he said he had been playing pool and had a couple of beers before giving his friend a lift home.”

Ms Hart added: “The accident was caused because he intended to go down a road that was closed and missed a junction, wrenched the steering wheel round and lost control, hitting the wall.”

In mitigation, defending solicitor Neil Priest said that the defendant admitted he had made a very foolish decision after he had been out socialising with a friend, and knew what he had done was wrong.

“He had been playing pool and foolishly agreed to give his friend a lift home but in hindsight he wished he could apply his mind again,” he said.

He added that Benham was currently unemployed and his main difficulty would be the loss of transportation to take him to interviews and potential places of work.

The magistrates sentenced the defendant to a 20 month driving ban and fined him £180 with £50 costs and a £30 victim surcharge