Going buy cigarettes lands man with driving ban

Callum Gourley, 28, of The Willows, Hebburn, pleaded guilty to driving above the alcohol limit when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates' Court.

Rebecca Laverick, prosecuting, said: "In the early hours of the morning, just before 4.30am, police received a report of a possible domestic incident."

She said while responding to that they noticed a car following them, which pulled up on the drive of the house they were responding to.

She said: "They described the defendant as being unsteady on his feet. He said he had been to the garage for cigarettes for his girlfriend."

He was found to have 81 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, with the limit being 35.

Gourley was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge. He was banned from driving for 21 months.