Drink driver caught behind wheel again

A motorist who was caught drunk behind the wheel for the fourth time couldn’t get to court to face the music – because he was banned from driving.

Richard Dalton was due before magistrates in North Tyneside on Tuesday but failed to show because he was unable to get from his home north of Aberdeen, in Scotland, without breaking the law.

But that didn’t seem to bother the 37-year-old last month when, despite being disqualified from the roads after clocking up three drinkdrive convictions, he got behind the wheel while over the limit and travelled through parts of Benwell, in Newcastle.

He was stopped by police, arrested and charged and was due in court to enter pleas to one count each of driving while disqualified, driving with excess alcohol and driving without insurance.

His solicitor, Janice Hall, entered guilty pleas on Dalton’s behalf.

She said: “Mr Dalton is living up north of Aberdeen and is a disqualified driver, so would have problems getting here today.

“I think even if we adjourn the case for two weeks, he will still be in the same position as he’s disqualified until April 2022.”

Ms Hall added: “He has three convictions for drink driving and this is a drink driving and driving while disqualified. Inevitably, I think a pre-sentence report will be required in any event.”

The court heard Dalton, of Well Road, Aberdeen, was stopped in a Ford Fiesta by police on Canning Street, in Benwell, on December 15 last year.

He failed a roadside breath test, later giving a reading of 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Ms Hall said she would be making an application for Dalton’s sentencing hearing to be heard remotely over a live link from Scotland to prevent him having to travel to North Tyneside.

Adjourning the case until February 17, District Judge Paul Currer said: “I will order a pre-sentence report. Perhaps I will give a slightly longer adjournment period, given the circumstances.”