Hartlepool double drink driver told he 'could have caused mayhem' when caught twice on A19

Donald Hilton, 58, admitted driving whilst unfit through drink on the dual carriageway southbound on July 24 last year.

Just months later, he was stopped again in the same area and charged with drink driving, Teesside Magistrates Court heard.

On the second occasion on October 5 last year Hilton was more than three times the legal alcohol limit.

Rachel Stapleton, prosecuting, said: “Around two o’clock officers were directed to a report from a member of the public of a car being driven erratically on the A19 northbound.”

Hilton, who was driving a Volvo was pulled over in a layby near Ron Perry’s services.

A test at the police station found he had 246 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – three and a half times the legal limit of 80 microgrammes.

Hilton, of Dalton Piercy, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, in addition to the earlier offence in July.

He was stripped of his licence for three years.

Related story: Hartlepool drink and drug driver crashed into wall while more than four times the booze limit

District Judge Timothy Capstick said: “It doesn’t need to be said what could have happened.

"To be perfectly frank on the guidelines I should send you to prison to punish you and send the message out that you simply cannot drive a motor vehicle in circumstances where you are that much over the legal limit.

“As I have said already you could have caused mayhem.”

Neil Taylor, defending, said: “To his credit he cooperated fully on both occasions.”

District Judge Capstick said if he were to send Hilton to prison it would only be for a few weeks and would not address Hilton’s underlying issues with alcohol.

Instead he was sentenced to 18 weeks prison suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

Hilton said to the court: “I thank you and I do apologise for what I’ve done.”

District Judge Capstick said: “Understand if you come back before the court on a like offence you might not be lucky next time.”

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