Three-year driving ban for dad who drunk drove child's toy quad bike down street

Anthony Teasdale, 33, of Hunter Street, Shiney Row, jumped on his daughter’s pink and yellow coloured petrol-powered kiddies’ quad bike.

The roofer then took it for a spin on Chester Road and Hindson Crescent South, Houghton-le-Spring, a court heard.

But father-of-five Teasdale had been downing booze on Saturday, November 28 – and police saw him riding and pushing the machine.

Officers suspected he was drunk and requested a breath test, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

And any hint his antics were innocent fun evaporated when he gave a reading of 115mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit of 35mcgs.

District Judge Kathryn Meek jailed Teasdale for eight weeks, suspended for 12 months – and banned him from driving for 36 months.

Defence solicitor Charlie Carr said he was somewhat taken aback by the details of the offence.

He said: ‘When I first saw this case, I had an image of an adult driving around on an adult quad bike.

“It’s really a child’s toy, it’s a small child’s quad bike that belongs to one of his daughters.

“He had it round at his uncle’s home and he foolishly, having had a drink, decided to drive it home.”

Mr Carr said his client’s partner was presently ill in hospital, and that his mum was providing help around the house for the couple’s children, aged 16 to three.

He conceded jail was a possibility for Teasdale, who has other previous convictions to his name.

But he added: “If you send him to prison today it would have a drastic effect on people who haven’t done anything wrong.

“This offence goes back to November last year, he hasn’t been in any trouble since that date.”

Judge Meek also ordered Teasdale, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving, to complete 20 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

And she said he must pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.