Broken brake light brings drink-driver to police's attention on busy Northumberland roundabout
Lee Douglas was still twice the limit the morning after he'd been drinking the night before
A faulty brake light caused a drink-driver to come to the attention of police officers as he travelled through a busy Northumberland roundabout. Lee Douglas was still more than twice the limit when he decided to get behind the wheel the morning after he'd been drinking "until the early hours".
The 45-year-old told a court he'd slept, had a coffee and felt fine to drive when he got into his VW Polo on March 31. And, if it wasn't for a defective brake light, he may never have come to the attention of the police, who instantly smelled alcohol on him when they pulled him over, prosecutors said.
Douglas, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving from 2008, was arrested after failing a roadside breath test and later gave a reading of 75mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is 35mcg. The former chartered accountant, of Wagtail Crescent, in Blaydon, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol when he appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court this week.
Sandra Fife, prosecuting, said Douglas came to the attention of police at the Seaton Burn roundabout at around 11.55am. Mrs Fife continued: "The officers' attention was drawn to the defendant's vehicle because the nearside brake light was not working.
"They have caused the vehicle to stop where it was safe on the slip road for Gosforth. As an officer opened the driver's door, he could smell alcohol coming from the vehicle.
"The defendant was asked to join him in the back of the police car." Mrs Fife added: "The defendant was shaking and his eyes appeared glazed. He appeared nervous throughout the interaction."
The court heard that Douglas had four offences on his record, including one for drink-driving. Representing himself, Douglas told magistrates that he had since given up alcohol and wouldn't drink again.
He said: "I'd had some bad news family-wise and had had a drink the evening before and stayed up until the early hours. I slept, had breakfast and a coffee and felt compos mentis.
"I was not driving erratically, it was a fault on my brake light. I'm ashamed of myself and I have decided that I'm not going to drink alcohol again." Douglas was fined £120, with an additional £85 costs and a £48 victim surcharge, and was banned from the roads for 19 months.
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