Drink driver's "poor driving" alerts police as he went looking for lost phone

The case was dealt with at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

A boozy South Tyneside motorist’s number was up when he took an early hours’ spin to look for his lost mobile phone, a court heard.

Christopher Daily’s hesitant stop-start manoeuvres on the 40mpg Western Approach dual carriageway in South Shields were seen by passing police.

They were out searching for a missing person but switched their attention to Daily, of Lumley Terrace, Monkton, Jarrow.

Officers witnessed him failing to indicate, driving slowly and braking unnecessarily at 4am on Monday, October 30.

And when pulled over, they instantly smelled alcohol on his breath, borough magistrates were told.

Daily confessed to having downed drink and he provided a roadside breath test that showed he was over the limit and led to his arrest.

He is starting a 17-month roads’ disqualification and must pay fines and costs of almost £700 after pleading guilty to drink driving.

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Prosecutor Emma O’Hegarty said: “The evidence comes from a sergeant who states that he was on duty and making inquiries in relation to a missing person.

“Attention was drawn to a white Ford Focus. The vehicle was followed, and it was noticed that it failed to indicate at a junction and was driving slowly.

“The vehicle was also braking every few seconds. The defendant stopped his vehicle and he confirmed to police that it was his.

“He said that he was looking for his mobile phone and admitted that he had consumed several alcoholic drinks earlier that night.

“A breath test at the scene was failed and he gave a positive reading on the police station CAMIC device.

“The crown would say that an aggravating factor is evidence of poor driving.”

Daily, who has no previous convictions, gave a reading for alcohol in breath of 61mcg. The legal limit is 35mcg.

He defended himself in court but declined to comment on his offence, confirming only that he was in employment.

Alongside his ban, magistrates fined him £438, with a £175 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.