South Shields drink-driver without licence ran from police after crashing car at Simonside Tesco

Liam Lloyd, 20, of Elizabeth Diamond Gardens, Chichester, South Shields, initially followed instructions and drove his Vauxhall Astra into the car park of Tesco’s Simonside store.

But he leapt out after crashing into a bollard and disappeared into the night – but only for five minutes, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

Lloyd, a heating engineer made jobless by coronavirus cuts, quickly returned to the scene and admitted to police he had been driving.

A breath test proved he was almost two-and-a-half times the legal limit.

Further checks revealed he was also only a provisional licence holder and was not insured.

Lloyd has now been banned from the roads for 20 months and must pay £259 in fines and costs for his 1.30am misdemeanours on Saturday, June 27.

Prosecutor Rachael Glover said: “A special constable is on patrol and comes across a car at traffic lights on Leam Lane, and it is revving its engine.

“There are two males inside. He sees it moving from side to side and asks the driver to stop.

“It goes into Tesco’s car park at speed and collides with a bollard. The driver runs off, but five minutes later the defendant returns to the vehicle.

“Due to his demeanour, they conduct a breath test, which was positive.

“This offence is aggravated by the fact that he was with a passenger and was swerving from lane to lane.”

Val Bell, defending, said: “He’s come to court at the first opportunity and has pleaded guilty.

“He shouldn’t have been driving. He had some alcohol on board. He did briefly leave the scene but came to his senses and came back.

“He was compliant with the police. Clearly there will be a disqualification.”

Lloyd gave a breath test reading of 82mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without insurance and without a licence.

He was fined £140 for drink-driving with £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

There was no separate penalty for the other offence.

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