Holidaymaker admits driving charge in Seahouses after police tip-off

Derek Clapperton, 65, from Sunniside, near Gateshead, pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared at Berwick Magistrates’ Court.

Magistrates heard that following a tip-off, the defendant was found by police at the wheel of his car in the main car park in Seahouses on November 8.

Brian Payne, prosecuting, told the court: “Police were given some information about a potential issue in the car park in Seahouses.

"They found the defendant in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Qashqai parked there. He had the keys with him and it became clear he had been drinking.

"He had had two pints at the Ship Inn. Officers took the view that he was in charge of the vehicle and he was breath tested.”

The court heard he failed the roadside breath test and was taken to a police station where he gave a breath test of 56mg alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit for driving is 35mg.

Mr Payne told magistrates the offence was aggravated by two historic drink-driving related offences.

In mitigation, Ian O’Rourke told magistrates the defendant had been on holiday in Beadnell and had had an argument with his girlfriend.

He left and went to Seahouses and she called the police and said they might find a drink-driver. He emphasised to magistrates that it was not a drink-driving offence, but one of being in charge of the vehicle.

Clapperton was ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £253, and his licence was endorsed with 10 penalty points.