A 24-year-old man who crashed his car near Brampton while under the influence of alcohol has been disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Marijan Milevic pleaded guilty to driving while over the limit after careering his red Vauxhall Vectra off the southbound carriageway of the A1 and into some trees on October 23.

Police found the defendant standing next to his overturned vehicle at around 7.20am.

“The police could see he had some injuries - cuts and lacerations around the head and face – and an ambulance was called,” Paul Brown, prosecuting, told Cambridge Magistrates’ Court.

“He refused to go to hospital but then agreed.”

Milevic, of Belmont Street, in Lincoln, left before a medical practitioner was available to see him, and was taken to a police station to be breathalysed around 10am, producing an alcohol reading of 67 micro-grams – almost double the legal limit.

The defendant told police he had been on his way to pick up a friend from London Airport at 6am but that he had already had eight cans of beer and some whisky.

He said he felt good enough to drive, but that something had come out in front of him while he was on the road and that this had made him crash.

Milevic, who has a Lithuanian driving licence, told the bench: “I’m really sorry. I don’t know why it happened. The speed of 80mph was maybe too fast and I’m just sorry.”

Philip Peacock, chairman of the bench, disqualified Milevic from driving for 18 months, handed him a £370 fine, £85 in court fees, and a victim surcharge of £37.