A MAN who crashed his car into a hedge and tried to hide was caught thanks to a police drone operator, a court heard.
Christopher Parry, of Abbott Walk in Holywell, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old admitted that on June 22, at Llay, he failed to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that at around 1am on the day of the offence, police were notified that the defendant had crashed his BMW into a hedge.
When officers arrived, Parry was found hiding in long grass nearby and detained.
He refused to give a sample to police when in custody at Llay.
Ceri Lewis, defending, told the court her client's actions had been borne out of panic and stupidity.
"He was the main breadwinner in the family," she explained
"But unfortunately, due to his arrest, he lost his job as a roofer.
"He is hoping to resume work soon.
"The car's a write-off, but they still have finance to pay on it.
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"He was under the influence of alcohol, so the insurance will not pay out, meaning they have a substantial debt."
Ms Lewis conceded her client's refusal had been "deliberate," but she said he claimed to have had injuries at the time and reiterated that he "just panicked."
District Judge Gwyn Jones told Parry: "This was a deliberate refusal and there was evidence of a high level of impairment.
"You tried to escape the police but they found you with a drone, and you were arrested."
For the offence, the defendant received a 12 month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work.
He was banned from driving for 30 months and must pay £85 costs, as well as a £114 victim surcharge.
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