Man caught drink-driving after slurring his words at McDonald's drive-thru

Thomas Alex Liddiard, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol after visiting Boldon McDonald’s at 4am on October 20.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard that Liddiard, 28, of Rutherford Road, Sunderland, was reported to police by concerned staff at the restaurant.

Prosecuting, Glenda Beck, said: “The defendant was at the drive-through at the McDonald’s on the Boldon Business Park.

“He was being served by staff and they were concerned because he was slurring his words and appeared intoxicated.”

Ms Beck said once Liddiard had been served his food he drove to a parking bay and parked the car.

Police arrived at the car park and parked up behind the defendant and went to speak to him.

She said they could smell alcohol and he was breathalysed at the scene and arrested. He was later breathalysed at the police station and found to have 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, with the limit being 35.

Joanne Gatens, defending, said: “He pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.

“It was an error of judgement on his part when calculating when he is safe to drive. This is a young man who needs to understand the perils of driving over the limit.”

She said Liddiard, who works in the retail sector, has no previous convictions.

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.