'Just lock me up, I've had ten cans,' South Shields man told police after being pulled over

Barry Nesbitt, 37, of Shaw Avenue, admitted a charge of failing to provide a sample when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

The father-of-three was pulled over by police in the early hours of September 30 because of a broken car light.

Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said: “He said ‘just lock me up, I have had ten cans of lager and I am well over the limit’.”

However, he then refused to comply with giving a breath test.

He said Nesbitt, who works for his family’s asbestos removal company, pleaded guilty straight away and has no previous convictions.

Geoffrey Michael Forrester, defending, said: “He is an entirely decent family man.

“He has never been in front of a court in his life. He is hard working and has the support of the people he works for.

“There was an immediate guilty plea.”

He was fined £700 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £70. He was banned from driving for 30 months.