An intoxicated driver was still three times over the limit when he ploughed into a field the morning after drinking alcohol.
Student Alin Margine felt he was fine to get behind the wheel after he woke up following a night out in Newcastle City Centre. However, the 21-year-old soon lost control of his Mercedes Benz in Burradon, in North Tyneside, and struck a lamppost, a court heard.
Margine's car ended up in a field and the police were called. He failed a roadside breath test, giving a reading of 113mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is just 35.
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The first year Northumbria University student, of Edge Way, in Wallsend, has now been banned from the roads for 24 months and must do 200 hours of unpaid work after he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in North Tyneside Magistrates' Court.
Prosecutor, Claire Irving, said police were called to reports of an accident on Burradon Road at around 6.45am on April 9 this year. She added: "Officers were alerted to a vehicle leaving the road and going into a field. When they attended, the defendant and another male were seen leaving the field.
"He makes full admissions in interview after a positive roadside breath test. He said he crashed by hitting a lamppost. He said he had been drinking despite denying it at the scene."
The court heard that Margine had no past convictions. Gregg Stephens, defending, continued: "The night before he had been working in Livello. He then gets a taxi back. Unfortunately, he wakes up early the next morning and thinks he's ok to drive and clearly he's not OK drive. It's a one-off incident."
Margine was given a 12-month community order, with the unpaid work and driving ban, and must pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge. District Judge Kate Meek said: "There are a number of reasons why this offence is serious. Your driving is out of control when you have been drinking and have the level of alcohol in your system that you did. You also had a passenger in the car, which makes it more serious."
