A MAN who gave his brother's name to police when he was arrested for drink-driving has been jailed for four months.

Philip Smith, 39, gave a false name because he was already banned from driving.

Smith, of Bessemer Street, Ferryhill, appeared before magistrates at Newton Aycliffe for sentencing yesterday.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to offences of driving with excess alcohol, driving whilst disqualified and without insurance, and obstructing the police.

The court heard that officers on patrol on the A167 at Chilton saw Smith asleep in a parked car in the early hours of December 20 last year.

Prosecutor David Maddison said they roused Smith and found that he smelled strongly of alcohol.

Smith told them he had driven from Newton Aycliffe and then parked to sober up.

When police searched him they found documents bearing the name Philip Smith.

But the defendant said he was Steven Smith and had just borrowed his brother's shirt.

Police checks revealed that Philip Smith was disqualified from driving until March 2006.

They then checked the arrested man's tattoos against the record in their national computer, which confirmed his identity.

Chris Bunting, defending, said if Smith had not made frank and honest admissions, police would have had difficulty proving he had been driving the car.

He said Smith regretted causing police so much trouble in establishing his identity.

Smith, who also admitted breaching a community punishment order, was jailed for four months and banned from driving for three years, after which he will have to sit a driving test.