A chef who crashed his employer’s vehicle while he was drunk has been fined £2,200.

Anthony McCabe then drove away from the scene without reporting the accident.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also banned the 32-year-old from driving for three years.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that McCabe was driving a Smart Fortwo Brabus, belonging to Haneffe’s Bar and Grill, in the early hours on October 29 last year.

He was heading along Royal Avenue in Onchan when he hit a parked LDV Maxus near the bend at the bottom of the road.

The Maxus was shunted onto the pavement, coming to rest with one of its rear wheels in the air.

However, McCabe didn’t stop after the accident and drove on, then parked at Victoria Road.

At 6.45am, a member of the public reported the damaged Maxus.

McCabe’s vehicle had left its number plate, and a plastic grill belonging to it, behind and was identified from those.

His vehicle was found but he wasn’t present.

At 8.30am, McCabe was seen by his mother, walking near to KFC on Peel Road, and he told her to take him to the police station.

Once there, he admitted he had been the driver involved in the accident.

At 8.55am, he took a breathalyser test, which produced a reading of 81, above the legal limit of 35, and said: ‘I’ve had six bottles of beer before getting to you this morning.

During an interview, he told police he had been drinking the night before, and had consumed three pints of lager while watching boxing between 9pm and 10.10pm.

He said he had gone to bed and then got up intending to drive to get breakfast, as he said he felt ok.

McCabe, who lives at Central Promenade in Douglas, said that he had lost control of his vehicle turning the corner, but that it had not been his fault.

He said that he had then panicked at the thought of crashing the company car, so he had left the scene, and parked at Victoria Road, before drinking a full pack of Peroni lager.

McCabe said he then walked to the Savoy Hotel and drunk two shots of whisky, before setting off to walk to the police station, but had met his mum while walking.

Prosecutor Mr Swain said that an expert’s report had concluded that the defendant’s account was inconsistent with the evidence.

McCabe had initially pleaded not guilty to drink-driving and a trial was due to be held on September 13, but on Tuesday, September 10, he changed his plea to guilty.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers said that his client had accepted that he would be sentenced on the reading of 81.

Mr Rodgers said that McCabe had issues with his recollection of events, and was not being dishonest.

The advocate went on to say that the defendant was a chef who had moved to the island relatively recently to make a fresh start.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood fined McCabe £1,700 for drink driving and £500 for failing to report an accident.

He was also ordered to pay £250 prosecution costs, to take an extended test at the end of his ban, and to complete a drink driving rehabilitation course.