A drink-driver who hit another car, causing it to roll onto its side, has been fined £1,300 and banned from the roads for two years.

Seventy-six-year-old Robert Simon Douglas Riggall then climbed a tower at his property when police arrived.

Prosecuting advocate Victoria Kinrade told the court that police were called to Malew Road in Castletown on September 2 last year, after a report of a two-vehicle collision.

Riggall’s Mercedes C180 was said to have left the junction at Church Farm, and hit a Nissan Juke.

The Juke rolled onto its side and trapped the driver inside.

A witness, who was driving behind the Juke, said that he saw the Juke swerve in the road to avoid the Mercedes as it pulled out, but the Mercedes had then driven into the side of the Juke.

He said that he ran to the crashed car and saw the Mercedes had initially stopped, but it then drove off.

Officers went to Riggall’s home, at Malew Road, and found him up a ladder in a loft, which led to a turret.

He told police to ‘f*** off’, but then came down.

Riggall was alleged to have said: ‘Cars drive past here at 90mph. It wasn’t my fault. I thought I’d killed him.’

Ms Kinrade said that the defendant had been driving from Church Farm to Great Meadow where he lived.

He was arrested and taken to police headquarters, where a breathalyser test produced a reading of 52, above the legal limit of 35.

However, an expert’s back calculation stated that the reading at the time of driving would have been not less than 68.

When interviewed, the defendant handed in a prepared statement saying that he had drunk Pimms and lemonade, 10 to 15 minutes before driving, but had not thought he would be over the limit.

He said he had driven away from the crash because he believed his vehicle was in an unsafe position on the road.

Riggall claimed that he had then drunk whiskey and wine after arriving home, but the expert’s report deemed that his account was not consistent with the reading.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers handed in letters of reference for his client and said that he had no previous convictions, so this was entirely out of character.

The advocate said that his client disputed what had been allegedly said to the police officers, and that Riggall was a valued member of the southern community, who did work for his local church, the Victorian Society, and scouts.

Deputy High Bailiff Ms Braidwood also ordered the defendant to take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.

Riggall entered not guilty pleas to failing to stop after an accident, having a defective tyre, possession of a firearm, and three counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a weapons certificate.

A pre-trial review will be held in summary court for those allegations on April 22.

Bail continues.