A drink-driver was found to be wearing just a dressing gown and trainers when he was stopped travelling on a Newcastle road.
Dad-of-Four John Gorman was spotted by officers travelling in excess of the speed limit and weaving across the central reservation of Ponteland Road, in Newcastle, while he was behind the wheel of a VW Jetta, a court was told. The 43-year-old was then pulled over and breathalysed when it was noted his "eyes were glazed" and he smelled of alcohol, prosecutors said.
Gorman was also only wearing a dressing gown and a pair of trainers when he spoke to the officers and confirmed he'd consumed a glass of wine some hours earlier. However, the alcohol was still in his system as he was arrested and failed a breath test.
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Gorman, of Mill House, in Spital Tongues, in Newcastle, has now been banned from roads for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol. He was also fined £266 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £106 victim surcharge.
Paul Clark, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, said an officer was on duty on Ponteland Road at around 12.50am on March 21 this year when he spotted Gorman in a VW Jetta. Mr Clark continued: "He noticed the vehicle being driven in excess of the speed limit and weaving across the central reservation and to the nearside white line.
"The driver then turned onto Beechcroft, in Kenton, and the officer caused the vehicle to stop. The officer spoke to the driver, who identified himself as the defendant. He was only wearing a dressing gown and trainers. His eyes were glazed and he could smell alcohol on his breath."
The court heard that Gorman's partner was sitting in the passenger seat holding two, full bottles of wine, while he went on to fail a breath test. Gorman, who has 41 offences on his record, including one for drink driving from 2009, gave a reading of 41mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is just 35mcg.
Ruth Foster, defending, said Gorman had come home from working as a roofer on the night in question, had a glass of wine and fell asleep. Mr Foster added: "His partner has a number of physical issues and she woke him up to tell him the gas meter was bleeping and he needed to go to the shop to get it topped up.
"She suffers very much when there's no heating in the house. There's also four children in the house. He got out of bed, pulled on a dressing gown and got in the car. He didn't think he was over the limit having only had one glass of wine several hours earlier."
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