Banned driver drunk at wheel

ABANNED driver has avoided jail despite being caught drunk at the wheel for the fourth time.

Robert Dunn was on holiday with his wife and kids at the Riverside Caravan Park, near Wooler, in Northumberland, and had been enjoying an afternoon in the complex’s bar.

But staff soon made a decision to stop serving the 41-year-old because of his “weird” behaviour and high level of intoxication, a court was told.

Disgruntled Dunn left the premises but was later seen to get behind the wheel of his Ford Kuga and travel on the busy A697.

The police were called and the dad-of-three was arrested after initially refusing to provide a sample of breath.

He eventually did give a sample but claimed he hadn’t been driving.

However, Dunn, of Plessy Road, in Blyth, came clean when he appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to driving with excess alcohol, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.

Prosecutor, James Long, said Dunn and his family were on holiday at the caravan park on August 27 this year and had been in a bar on the complex.

At around 7pm, staff made a decision not to serve Dunn any more booze.

Mr Long continued: “That caused some irritation to the defendant. He then left the premises and was later seen to get in the car and drive off on the A697.

“Police become involved. By the time they become involved, the defendant had driven back to his caravan.

“When they spoke to him and asked him to provide a specimen of breath, he refused to do so and denied being the driver of the vehicle in question.

“He was arrested for failing to provide a specimen.”

The court heard that, at the police station, Dunn did give a sample, recording a reading of 74mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is just 35.

However, he continued to deny driving until two members of the staff at the caravan park picked him out in a formal identification procedure.

Mr Long said Dunn was a disqualified driver at the time, having been banned from the roads for 48 months in 2019 for drink-driving.

He also had two further drinkdriving offences from 2011 and 2007 on his record.

Glenn Reardon, defending, said Dunn was a full-time carer for his autistic son, who would be “seriously impacted” if he was sent to prison.

The solicitor added: “He had walked back to his caravan when he was removed from the bar. He’s had a sleep then made the decision to go back and get the car and driven it.”

Giving Dunn an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 20 months, chairing magistrate Keith McIntosh said: “Clearly, these are serious matters – you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that – and it is the fourth time you have come before the court for driving with excess alcohol.

“A further aggravating factor is that you were driving while disqualified. Your only saving grace is there was no accident and nobody was hurt.”

Dunn was banned from the roads for 46 months and ordered to pay £85 costs and £128 victim surcharge.