A drink-driver, who was more than four times the legal limit, has failed in a bid to win back his licence early.

Thirty-nine-year-old Martin McDonald was banned from the roads for seven years in November 2020.

On Tuesday, December 17, he appeared before High Bailiff James Brooks making an application to have his licence restored early, but this was rejected.

On September 21 at 6pm, in 2020, McDonald was seen driving a Mercedes Vito van on Central Promenade in Douglas.

Police had received reports of it colliding with a number of objects, and when officers located the van, they witnessed it crash into a road sign on Queen’s Promenade.

McDonald, who lives at Wybourn Drive in Onchan, was described as smelling of alcohol and appearing incoherent when he got out of the vehicle.

After being arrested and taken to police headquarters, he failed a breathalyser test with a reading of 148, more than quadruple the limit of 35.

He then appeared in court in November 2020 and was given a suspended sentence and £2,000 fine, as well as his ban.

While making his application for an early restoration, McDonald told the High Bailiff: ‘I understand the severity of what I’ve done.

‘I’ve changed so much of my life since then.

‘Being able to regain my licence would be the missing piece of the jigsaw and complete the turnaround.’

McDonald said that getting his licence back early would enable him to drive his child to school and clubs.

He also handed in a letter to the court, setting out what had led to the offence.

High Bailiff Mr Brooks told McDonald that he had taken into account the number of positive changes he had made since the offence, but said that he was not satisfied that the need for the licence to be restored was sufficient.

Mr Brooks said that this would not prevent another application in the future.