Sunderland motorist's 'silly decision' to drive while twice the limit led to crash

Brad Forster, 27, of Porchester Road, was breathalysed and arrested at home after police found his damaged blue Vauxhall Corsa in Hylton Road, Sunderland, on Saturday, November 30, last year.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard a second reading given at a police station showed he had 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

He has now been fined £400 and disqualified from driving for 21 months after admitting a charge of drink driving.

Prosecutor Laura Lax said: “PC Hunter was on duty when a member of the public pulled up and told him that a car had crashed.

“A Vauxhall Corsa had crashed into a garden fence. It was locked and secured and had its hazards on.

“He did his checks and then travelled to the home address of Mr Forster. He was let in by a female and Mr Forster was coming down the stairs.

“He was asked if there was anything that he wanted to talk to him about. He confirmed that he hadn’t drank anything since.”

Forster, who has no previous convictions and defended himself in court, told magistrates: “It was a silly decision to drive my car.”

Magistrates also ordered Forster to pay £85 court costs and a £40 victim surcharge.