Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Drink-driver Tarrant shopped by pubgoer
TV presenter disqualified after boozy lunch tip-off
CHRIS Tarrant has been banned from driving after a fellow pubgoer tipped off police he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel.
A court heard the TV star was served up to four brandy and ports at a lunch.
Tarrant, 71, yesterday admitted drinkdriving. He got a 12-month ban and a £6,000 fine.
Outside court, where he was joined by partner Jane Bird, he said: “I am very sorry, I made a mistake and I paid for it. I should not have done it, full stop.
“I drank just enough to be over, I honestly did not think I was over the limit.”
The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host had been drinking at Bladebone Inn in Bucklebury, Berks, before driving two miles home in his Mercedes, the court heard.
Prosecutor Hasrat Ali said: “Staff and other people present inside the pub were concerned that he decided to drive. One member of the public there had noticed Tarrant had stumbled near the bar area. Witnesses spoke to each other. As a result, one member of the public phoned the police to report a drink-driver.”
Police went to his home 13 minutes after the call on December 16, Reading magistrates court heard. Mr Ali said: “Mr Tarrant claimed he’d drunk three glasses of wine prior to police arriving.
“He was asked to sign the pocket notebook to that effect but refused.” When breathalysed, the star had 50mcg alcohol per 100ml of breath. The limit is 35mcg.
Mr Ali said the broadcaster later told police he had drunk “a large glass of brandy and a glass of wine”.
Simon Ray, mitigating, said: “The statements of intoxication can be explained by some medical evidence, Tarrant has a problem with his knee.
“All the drinks he purchased were not consumed by him but he accepts he was over the limit.”
Tarrant could do a drink-drive rehabilitation course to shorten the ban.