Driver almost triple the limit

A cable and pipe layer has been banned from the roads for driving a van on a busy Sunderland dual carriageway at almost three times the drink-drive limit.

Gheorghe Berinde, 39, of Kingston Avenue, Roker, Sunderland, was spotted behind the wheel of a red Ford Transit on Wessington Way by anothermotoristatabout9.30pm on November 8, a court heard.

Police who stopped him suspected he was under the influence of booze or drugs – and Berinde confessed to drinkingwhiskeywithafriend when questioned. Magistrates in South Tyneside were told a breath test revealed he had 102 microgrammes of alcohol in100millilitresofbreath.The legal limit is 35.

Berinde,whohasworkedin theUKfortwoyearsandhasno previous convictions, was disqualified from driving for 23 months and fined £369.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “Police received a report of a possible drink-driver and noticedthisredTransitvanbeing driven slowly on the road.

“Police stopped the vehicle and this man was the driver and he appeared to be under theinfluenceofdrinkordrugs. He was arrested and taken to the police station.”

Jason Smith, defending, said: “He works very hard, he’s neverclaimedanybenefitsand has done nothing other than work since he came to the UK.

“This was a one-off circumstance where Mr Berinde has been to friends of his after work and it was his friend’s birthday and he accepts that he had a few whiskies but before getting into the car.

“He felt absolutely fine. He is embarrassed that he is here before you today.”

Berinde,whopleadedguilty todrinkdriving,wasorderedto pay £85 court costs and a £36 victim surcharge.