Sunderland motorist was almost three times limit when shoppers at Morrisons called police

Deputy District Judge Gary Garland made the stinging criticism of Christopher Johnson, 56, who sank booze and then popped to his local Morrisons.

He told Johnson, of Angus Square, Farringdon: “If you didn’t fill yourself with 91 microgrammes of drink and driven, you wouldn’t be in this position.

“I could understand if you were just over the limit, that would be just a miscalculation, but to be so grossly over the limit, that’s the problem here.”

Banning him from the roads for two years, he added: “What possessed you to do this? Yes, I think that’s the right word.”

Johnson drove his Citroen to the retailer’s outlet at Doxford Park, Sunderland, on Saturday, June 26, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard.

Prosecutor Sarah Malkinson said he went into the store, but fellow shoppers suspected he was sozzled - and alerted police.

She told the court: “Officers attended after reports from members of the public about a suspected drink-driver.

“His car was located but no person was there, but the defendant returned and placed his key in the car and turned the ignition. He smelled strongly of alcohol.”

Johnson gave a reading of 91 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Rebecca Highton, defending, told the court: “Mr Johnson committed the offence on a day he was going shopping for his elderly father.

“His father is 89 and can’t manage his own care needs. Mr Johnson is very sorry for what he’s done and accepts that it was a stupid mistake.

“He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and he accepts that what he did was wrong.”

Johnson, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving, was also sentenced to a 12-month community order.

It has a requirement of 10 days of rehabilitation work, and he was made subject to an eight-week, 8pm to 6.30pm electronically monitored curfew.

As he left court, Johnson, who must also pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs, said: “I’m very sorry.”