Sunderland man admits driving after 'five pints' on friend's birthday night out - because he feared his car would be clamped

Spencer Gary Shevlin, 26, of Ramsgate Road, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with excess alcohol when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

Glenda Beck, prosecuting, said: "At about 9.50pm, police were in the Holmeside area of Sunderland when they spotted a Mazda 3 being driven without any lights on."

They followed the car, which was swaying in the lane, and pulled it over.

She said the officer walked over to the vehicle which the defendant was driving and there was also a female in the front passenger seat and a male in the rear of the car.

Ms Beck said: "He spoke to Mr Shevlin, the officer noted his breath smelled of alcohol and he was slurring his words..

"The defendant said 'I have to be honest, I have had about five pints tonight'."

He was found to have 111 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, with the limit being 35, following the incident on September 15.

A spokesman for the probation service said: "It seems like he has co-operated with the police as soon as they flashed him to stop.

"He has gone out with a friend to celebrate a birthday. They have gone out for food and a couple of drinks.

"He parked his car up.

"Unfortunately, things have progressed and he had more to drink than he intended to do.

"He started to drive the car because he didn't want to leave it where it was. He feared it would be clamped.

"It was reckless and very selfish of him - and those are his words - he is very sorry for what he had done."

He said Shevlin, who works for a printing company and has a young son, says he is only a social drinker.

Shevlin was fined £250 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge. He was also banned from driving for 28 months.