A MEMBER of the public and a farmer came to the rescue of a drink driver who crashed his car off the road and into a hedgerow, a court heard.

Josh Cardiff, of Princes Road in Ellesmere Port, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The 28-year-old admitted that on May 21, he drove a Nissan Juke on the A494 at Mold after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion of it in his breath exceeded the prescribed limit.

He was found to have 50 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that at around 11.30pm on the day of the offence, a member of the public was driving along the A494 towards Ruthin when he spotted many leaves at the side of the road, in the area of the Clwyd Gate.

The man felt something was not right, so returned to examine the spot with his phone as a torch.

Then he spotted a vehicle in a hedgerow, covered by trees, around five to ten feet from the side of the road.

He heard a male's voice calling out: "Help, help - don't leave me I'm scared." 

With the help of a passing farmer, Cardiff was released from the vehicle, following which the police were called as it appeared he was drunk.

Cardiff tried to walk away in the direction of Ruthin but was apprehended by officers and gave the breath reading which ultimately landed him in the dock.

Ms Jackson said the defendant told an officer he'd received a text and when he looked up he was going off the road, at which point he let go of the wheel.

READ MORE: Three year ban for Chester woman caught drink driving

When he was interviewed, Cardiff said he'd had an argument with his girlfriend, so he went out for drinks with a friend and put his phone on airplane mode.

He later turned the mode off, however, and had missed calls and messages - prompting him to decide to get behind the wheel.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, said her client was fully compliant with the police and that he'd accepted his behaviour that night had been "exceptionally foolish."

Following the incident he lost his job as a mobile engineer due to the inevitable driving ban - but has since secured new employment, she added.

District Judge Gwyn Jones handed down a £350 fine and ordered the defendant to pay a £35 victim surcharge as well as £85 costs.

He was also banned from driving for 14 months.