A DEPRESSED welder tried to kill himself by deliberately driving his car into a telegraph pole, a court heard.

Philip Michael Brandon, of Chester Road, Little Budworth, crashed his Vauxhall Cavalier in the village on July 4.

The crash left 27-year-old Brandon with head, face and whiplash injuries.

And to add to his woes, a breath test taken while he was in hospital showed that he was over the drink-drive limit.

Brandon admitted the drink-driving offence when he appeared before Northwich magistrates on Wednesday last week.

Mr Graham Gertson, prosecuting, told the court: "At 10.15pm on the date in question the police were called to the scene of an accident.

"A Vauxhall Cavalier had collided with a telegraph pole in Little Budworth and the defandant was sitting in the driver's seat.

"He was taken to hospital by ambulance, and a breath test there proved positive."

Mr Gertson added that a subsequent blood test confirmed that Brandon was over the limit.

Mr Quentin Querelle, defending, described his client's crash as "a serious attempt to take his own life."

He added: "He'd had a relationship with a lady which had turned sour. She ended the relationship and he became more and more depressed.

"He drove intentionally into the telegraph pole in an attempt to take his life, and it left him with facial and head injuries and whiplash."

Mr Querelle said that Brandon was "someone in some degree of discomfort in his own mind" and that his client had been undergoing counselling for drink and psychiatric matters.

The magistrates adjourned the case until September 21 so that pre-sentence reports on Brandon could be prepared.

He was granted unconditional bail and the magistrates imposed an interim driving ban on him.

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