A man who was spotted swerving on the road in March has appeared in court for drink driving.
The 29-year-old was reported to police when he was seen swerving on the road in Hebburn without his lights on by an off-duty member off staff from Northumbria Police. South Tyneside Magistrates heard a witness say they spotted a Ford transit van, driven by the defendant, swerving in the road around 10.50pm.
The vehicle had no lights on despite it being dark and the witness believed it was travelling at speed. Prosecutor Emma O’ Hegarty said the van stopped at The Clock pub on Victoria Road and the witness pulled over and went over to the van, where the defendant was sitting with a woman in the passenger seat.
Ms O’ Hegarty said: “She noticed his speech was slurred and eyes were glazed.
“She believed he was intoxicated and advised she was police staff.”
The police were then contacted and, when they arrived, the defendant was still in the driver’s seat, with the keys in the ignition.
Ms O’ Hegarty said the officer could smell alcohol and noticed the defendant’s eyes were glazed, when they asked the drink driver if he’d been drinking, he replied: “I’ve had a couple, aye.”
The defendant found to be almost 3 times the legal drink driving limit, giving a reading of 96mgs.
The self-employed joiner had been drinking at the woman’s home and she’d “insisted he drive her to the shop and cash point.”
Amy Hossack, defending, said the shop and cash point was less than half a mile from his home.
When he was asked why he didn’t walk to the cashpoint, the defendant “Cause I’m absolutely stupid.”
After pleading to drink driving, magistrates disqualified him from driving for 24 months and imposed a fine of £679.
