Armed police stop teen over limit

Armed police on early hours patrol in caught a teenager drink-driving, a court heard.

They stopped Kyle Mackel, 18, of Kipling Avenue, West Boldon, due to how he was driving his Nissan Micra in Green Lane, South Shields on Sunday January 5.

A police station breath test showed he had 53 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, Mackel, an apprentice who works on Teesside, was banned from the roads for 15 months and handed fines and court costs totalling £347.

Prosecutor Lee Poppett said: “Two police officers are on duty and it’s a quarter past one in the morning. They are in a marked armed response vehicle.

“They describe a vehicle in Green Lane that was drawing their attention due to the manner of driving. No details are given.

“They stopped the vehicle. The driver is identified as Mr Mackel and he is fully compliant, but the officers describe smelling alcohol on his breath.

“He is arrested and taken to the police station. Two samples are given and the lowest was 53 microgrammes. He is of previous good character.”

Mackel, who defended himself, told magistrates: “I made a silly mistake getting in the car. I didn’t realise how much I was over.”

John Lee, chairman of the bench, told Mackel: “Despite the fact that the danger of drink-driving is being published almost every day in the papers, we see shocking examples of people coming through the courts who have ignored it or just think they will take a chance.”