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A drink driver trapped in his car which ended up balanced on its side after crashing onto a verge, was told he was lucky not to have been impaled by a metal railing.

Mark James Hetherington (53), of Castleboy Avenue, Belfast, came to police attention around 11pm on January 21 this year at Bank Road in Larne.

A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates' Court police found the defendant in the driver's seat with his seat belt still on.

The car was balancing on its side on a verge. The vehicle had collided with metal fencing and the defendant was trapped in the car as the fencing was against the driver's door.

The case was heard at Ballymena Magistrates Court

Police helped him out of the car and there was a "strong smell of intoxicating liquor".

He had an alcohol in breath reading of 72 - the legal limit is 35 - when taken to Antrim PSNI Station.

The defendant, who was not present in court, had told police he had a "few beers".

A defence solicitor said the defendant works as a removal driver.

Upon looking at a photo, District Judge Nigel Broderick remarked "My goodness" and added that the defendant was lucky not to have killed himself.

The judge said it had been "quite a significant impact and one of those metal poles could easily have gone through a window of the car and had fatal consequences".

The defendant was banned from driving for a year; was fined £300 and will have to re-sit his test.

Judge says drink driver was lucky not to have been impaled by metal railing in Larne