A DRUNKEN ex-soldier who crashed his car in a Selby village concocted an elaborate story to try to avoid punishment.

Matthew Nicholas Wood, 24, appeared before Selby Magistrates’ Court charged with driving his Volkswagen Golf while drunk at 4.15am in Carlton High Street.

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, told the court police were phoned on February 24 by a resident who told them the car had been in an accident, and they had seen the driver walk off towards Snaith.

Police found the car and identified Wood as the owner, and later found him walking on the A645 towards Pontefract. He admitted he had been in a car accident and a roadside breath test found he had 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, just over twice the legal limit.

Wood was arrested and interviewed by police. He told them he had driven to Selby alone for a night out, drunk eight double vodkas, some beer, and shots in several pubs around the town.

He said he knew he was drunk but had met a man called Sam from Leeds, who offered to drive him home, and crashed on the way. He told police: “The next thing I know, he’s hot-footed it out the car and I’m trying to push it out of the road.”

Wood told the court he had recently left the army after serving in Afghanistan, the Falklands and Belize and was having trouble adjusting to civilian life.

He said: “I’m sorry I made up the stupid story, and if I could take it back, I would.

“I got into an argument with my partner on the night and made a horrible mistake, and came up with the ridiculous story and panicked when I thought about what this meant for my future.”

Magistrate Ruth Stanley disqualified Wood, of Birch Drive, Kippax, from driving for 20 months.

Wood was also fined £200, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and prosecution costs of £85.