A YOUNG rifleman who crashed his car into a bridge wall at Barnard Castle was over the drink drive limit, a court heard.

Lucas Wright, of Neasham Road but based at Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh, was driving back up to Scotland after visiting his girlfriend in Darlington on April 15, Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard on Thursday (May 5).

Prosecuting, Joanne Hesse said the police were called after Wright’s Fiesta collided with a bridge near Eggleston Abbey in the early hours of the morning.

Wright, 19, was uninjured and continued to drive a short distance before the car cut out.

In a police interview, Wright told officers that he had drunk two and a half pints before setting out on the journey back to his barracks in Edinburgh and thought he was okay to drive.

Representing himself in court, he said: “The police officer put the crash down not to alcohol but down to me being tired.

“But obviously I had alcohol in my breath and failed a roadside breath test.”

Wright had 43mg of alcohol in his breath – the legal limit is 35mg – and he pleaded guilty to drink driving in court.

An army officer spoke favourably on Wright’s behalf, describing the incident as being ‘completely out of character’ and a ‘very misjudged situation’.

The officer added that Wright would also be disciplined ‘quite severely’ by the battalion as well as by the courts.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month driving ban and ordered Wright to pay a total of £415 in court fines and charges.