A FRESHWATER man who rolled his car trying to avoid a pheasant has been sentenced for drink driving.

Tom Court, of Afton Down, appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Friday.

The 33-year-old admitted drink driving in Newport on April 3, 2021.

Prosecutor, Liz Miller, told the court police received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Calbourne Road.

She said Court had been driving a Land Rover Defender and said he swerved to avoid a pheasant, which caused him to lose control and roll his vehicle.

The court heard a sample of his blood was taken and Court was found to be over the prescribed limit ­— registering 120 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit is 80.

Henry Farley, defending, said Court pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had never been in court before.

He said he had held a driving licence since he was 17 and was deeply ashamed of himself and filled with remorse.

Mr Farley said the charge was all he had been thinking about during his waking hours, and he was determined to never appear before the court again.

He said Court was truly contrite, and on the day in question, he had been shooting a video at Tapnell Farm.

He said some punch had been passed round, and it had been a miscalculation on Court's part, as he didn't know what was in it and didn't feel intoxicated.

Court, a sailor who runs his own video production company, was disqualified from driving for 14 months and fined £80.

He was ordered to pay £85 and a £34 surcharge.