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Przemyslaw Woznicki, 35, was pulled over at 1.30am as he drove his Citroen C3 on the northbound A19 approach to the Tyne Tunnel at Jarrow.

Woznicki, of Hewitson Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, gave a positive roadside breath test and two evidential blows after his arrest proved his guilt.

Magistrates banned him for 16 months after hearing he was approaching twice the limit and was driving a passenger.

Prosecutor Gurjot Kaur said: “In the early hours, officers were on duty on the A19 at Jarrow.

“The vehicle was approaching the Tyne Tunnel and police saw it veering across all three lanes.

“They have stopped the vehicle, which contained the driver and a passenger. He was intoxicated and failed a roadside breath test.

“You must endorse and disqualify. An aggravating factor is that there was a passenger present.

“You may also feel it was an unacceptable standard of driving due to the officers’ attention being drawn by the vehicle swerving.”

Woznicki, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to drink driving following reading of 59mcg of alcohol in breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Gerry Armstrong, defending, said: “He is a man of previous good character. It was an error of judgement.

“He immediately stopped for the police and fully cooperated through all procedures, and he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

“He accepts that he had more to drink than he should have. He’s in full-time employment.

“Please offer him the drink-drive rehabilitation course so that he learns and is not before the court again.”

Alongside his disqualification, magistrates fined Woznicki £300, with a £120 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

They offered him a place on the rehabilitation programme, which reduces a ban by a quarter on completion.

Drunk driver banned for over a year after police caught him veering across three lanes near the Tyne Tunnel