A British man fined $82 for driving his horse-drawn carriage while drunk said he ran a red light because the animal is colorblind.

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John Mulvenna, 56, who also received a 12-month conditional discharge when he pleaded guilty in Barnsley, England, to a charge of being drunk in charge of a horse and carriage, maintained he went through the red light because his horse, Fred, is colorblind, The Daily Express reported Monday.

Authorities said Mulvenna also directed the horse the wrong way down a one-way street.

John Dobbin, Mulvenna's lawyer, said his client had consumed four pints of beer prior to the incident.

"He thought he was in a proper state to control the horse and trap," Dobbin said. "It is clear that he was not."