Man mourning his sister's loss banned from roads after Gateshead drink driving incident

Oladele Olaoniye, 41, had a tipple three weeks after getting the devastating news and amid low mood from life’s stresses, a court heard.

He pulled his Ford Focus over in the middle of Saltwell Road, Saltwell, to take a call on his mobile at 1am on Sunday, February 23.

But he was seen by police who suspected Olaoniye, of Don Vale Drive, Donwell, he had been drinking.

A roadside breath test showed 50mcg of alcohol, placing him over the 35mcg legal limit, prosecutor Bushra Begum said.

She confirmed the level had fallen to a still illegal 46mcg by the time of an evidential breath test after his arrest.

Mrs Begum said: “Police were on duty in an unmarked armed response vehicle travelling south on Saltwell Road.

“They spotted that a vehicle had stopped in the middle of the carriageway and pulled up behind. The driver, this defendant, was alone.

“He said that he had pulled over to use his mobile phone and offered to move his vehicle to the side of the road and not on the carriageway.

“It was an officer’s view that he was intoxicated. He’s a gentleman of previous good character.”

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, Olaoniye pleaded guilty to a charge of drink driving.

Defending himself, he said he had entered a “period of trauma” in February, starting with his sister’s death in Nigeria.

He said he was also suffering with anxiety and depression and was taking antidepressants.

The married dad revealed he had become upset after discovering his photo was being used online without his permission.

It had led to accusations among several friends that he was involved in a fraud, which he said he was not.

Click here to find out about our free email newsletters, delivering the headlines to you

Olaoniye added: “On this night, I was a little bit tired. I had a drink. On the way back, someone called me. I parked at the side of the road.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield banned Olaoniye from driving for 14 months and fined him £461, with a £184 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

Have you got a story you want to share with our readers? You can now send it to us online via YourWorld at https://www.yourworld.net/submit/ It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.