A 26-YEAR-old tried to convince police he had nothing to do with a car crash near Hereford while wearing just one shoe, a court heard.

Police were called to a field off the A4110 between Hereford and Canon Pyon at 3am on November 9 last year, after a lorry driver saw a car leave the road.

Hereford Magistrates Court heard that when officers arrived Robert Jones of New Cottages, Leinthall Starkes, Ludlow spoke to them with a head torch on and wearing just one shoe.

Officers said Jones seemed "jumbled" but said he lived nearby and had just come to see what had happened.

The number plates on the car, which had crashed into a hedge, had been removed and were found nearby.

Jones then asked officers to pull his sock up, which was soaking wet. The key of the crashed car was found in his sock, and officers later found out the car had been transferred into Jones' ownership a few days earlier in exchange for firewood.

Cannabis and a grinder and the prescribed drug, diazepam was also found on him.

At Hereford Magistrates Court on January 14 Jones pleaded guilty to being in possession of cannabis; in charge of a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs and using the car without third party insurance.

Philip Cornell, defending, said Jones has been prescribed diazepam due to his chronic sleep problems since the death of his father seven to eight years ago.

He said Jones had refused to say if he was driving or if someone else was driving.

District Judge Robinson said: "It is something of a mystery as to what went on in the run up to this offence- only you know, the court hasn't been told."

Jones was disqualified from driving for six months. He was fined £400 and ordered to pay a £24 victim surcharge and £85 costs.