A 50-year-old blind man who drove approximately 150 miles along the motorway while over the drink-drive limit has avoided immediate jail time at Kirklees Magistrates' Court.

Anthony Hall, of Lees Close in Huddersfield, was sentenced on Tuesday to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving without a licence or insurance, and taking a vehicle without consent.

Police intercepted Hall on the M6 northbound near Carlisle at around 01:45 BST on 29 June. Officers had received an alert about an intoxicated, blind motorist on the road and pulled over Hall's Vauxhall Meriva after spotting it swerving between lanes and onto the hard shoulder near junction 42.

When an officer approached the vehicle, they detected alcohol on Hall's breath. The court heard that Hall had lost his sight around two years ago but retained limited perception of light, explaining to police that he had managed to navigate the motorway simply by following the rear lights of a heavy goods vehicle ahead of him.

Hall admitted that he and his partner had consumed four bottles of wine before he took her car without permission. When breathalysed at the roadside, he recorded 50 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, followed by a reading of 46 micrograms at the police station. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35 micrograms.

Hall told officers he had intended to drive to Scotland to escape his home, his relationship, and his financial difficulties. The court heard that during his journey from West Yorkshire, he had stopped at a petrol station at an unknown location, where an attendant filled the tank for him.

What we do not know from the court hearing is the exact route Hall navigated before reaching the M6 in Cumbria, or which service station attendant assisted him along the way.

In mitigation, Hall's defence representative Adele Graham stated that her client had no previous convictions and had suffered a breakdown prior to the journey. She told the court that Hall had felt trapped in his own home and wanted to get as far away from his life there as possible.

Sentencing him, magistrate Tracey McErlain-Burns noted Hall's previous good character and difficult personal circumstances. She explained that while the legal threshold for custody had been crossed, the bench decided to suspend the sentence.

In addition to the suspended 36-week term, Hall must carry out rehabilitation activities, abstain from alcohol for 90 days, pay £272 in costs, and remain disqualified from driving for 12 months, despite having no licence at the time of the offence.

I'll be following this one — check back for updates.