South Shields man caught driving just two weeks into a three-year roads ban
A South Tyneside motoring menace who drove just 14 days into a three-year ban has been given six months to prove he can stay crime free – or face being jailed.
Magistrates warned Paul McKay, 46, he risks being put behind bars if he does not steer clear of trouble until Tuesday, December 2.
McKay, of Milton Street, Chichester, South Shields, was drunk when pulled over at the wheel by police in nearby Dean Road on Tuesday, June 3.
On Wednesday, May 21, he had appeared at the same court, where he was disqualified from the roads for drug driving.
At that hearing, a judge told him he was keeping his liberty only because there were no obvious signs he had been impaired.
The judge, who heard McKay also has drink drive convictions in 2010, 2017 and 2024, sentenced him to a community order.
At his latest appearance at the borough’s magistrates’ court, he pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance and driving while banned.
McKay committed the offences while also subject to a 10-week suspended prison term, imposed on Tuesday, May 13, for possession of a bladed article.
Instead of caging him, magistrates deferred sentence, with chair or the bench, David Johnson, telling him: “You’ve been given a chance – take it.
“I can’t emphasise enough that if you commit any further offences, you will be re-sentenced and you will probably be looking at a prison sentence.”
Of his latest motoring offences, prosecutor Paige Sparks said: “An officer has said in his statement that they recognised a vehicle.
“It turned left into Dacre Street, and police lit up their lights and siren. An officer could see a male in dark clothing run from the vehicle into a back alley.
“Another officer gave chase and a male was detained, It was the defendant. The breath test procedure was carried out.
“The offence is aggravated by there being a suspended sentence order in place and because of his previous driving offences.”
McKay, who has five previous convictions from nine offences, gave a reading in breath for alcohol of 57mcg. The legal limit is 35mcg.
David Forrester, defending, admitted himself baffled by McKay’s behaviour, adding: “What kind of brain freeze he had, I don’t know.”
Mr Forrester told magistrates: “The offences themselves probably don’t give you as much concern as his recent history.
“What you have is a man who is 46 years of age who has a limited criminal history and who has put himself at risk today of going to prison.
“He presents as somebody who is keen to sort his problems out but has ended up driving a motor vehicle again.
“He had been at a friend’s and has taken the decision to drive. He knows he shouldn’t have been driving.
“He got out of the car and tried to run away from police. What’s going on in his head is beyond me. It’s a little bizarre.”
Magistrates deferred sentence on the basis McKay commits no further offences and works with the Probation Service on his rehabilitation.
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