Christopher Brian Maitland appeared before Furness Magistrates’ Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to driving a Mazda 323 car with excess alcohol on August 11.
He had 65 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35. Maitland, of Longway, Barrow, also admitted the use of a motor vehicle with the front offside tyre less than 1mm tread.
Mr Lee Dacre, prosecuting, said: “Police officers were called after reports that a vehicle had left the road and gone through a hedge and into a field at about 9.30pm.
“He was breathaylsed and found to be over the limit and arrested. When the car was examined a tyre tread was found to be below the legal limit. No-one was injured.”
The court was told that Maitland was now unemployed because of the incident and in the process of claiming benefits.
He said he accepted the prosecution’s version of events. The defendant said: “It was just a silly mistake and I really regret doing it.”
For drink-driving he was fined £100 and told to pay £85 court costs and a £25 victim surcharge as well as £150 criminal court charge.
He was also banned from the roads for 18 months. He was told his driving licence would be endorsed for the defective tyre.
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