Roofer avoids drink driving jail charge after agreeing to stay sober for 120 days and rehabilitation

A roofer has been spared jail after being caught driving at almost four times the limit in South Tyneside – his fourth such offence.

Paul Carman, 46, of Connaught Road, Newport, Middlesbrough, was told by magistrates his offence was serious enough for imprisonment.

But they refrained from putting him behind bars and instead suspended his sentence for two years, saying they believed he could be rehabilitated.

Carman must also stay sober for 120 days as part of his punishment, a freedom condition to be monitored by a tag designed to detect booze consumption.

The dad was arrested in Rosemount Court, West Boldon, after a resident became suspicious of his behaviour and called police on Friday, June 23.

She saw him drive his blue Ford Fiesta into the cul-de-sac at speed and park poorly half on a pavement at around 11.35am.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Winchester told borough magistrates the witness continued to watch Carman as he became increasingly agitated.

He even struck the roof of his vehicle, causing the concerned householder to dial 999.

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Carman failed a roadside breath test and was arrested, and two further samples given at a police station proved he was above the drink drive limit.

He gave an evidential reading of 125mcg of alcohol in breath, against a legal limit of 35mcg, leading to a guilty plea to a charge of driving with excess alcohol.

The court was told he was disqualified for drink driving in 1998, 2009 and February 2018, which led to an earlier suspended prison sentence.

Greg Stevens, defending, said Carman fully appreciated the seriousness of his situation before the court and could lose his employment if jailed.

He revealed his client had been drinking the evening before, had already sought help for alcohol and could be rehabilitated.

Magistrates jailed Carman for 26 weeks, which they reduced to 17 weeks due to his early guilty plea – and then suspended the sentence.

They also disqualified him from driving for five years, and he must pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.