Nathan Wood, 22, from Ashington, Northumberland, was so intoxicated that his ‘legs couldn’t support his own weight’. Pictured: Outside Bedlington Magistrates Court
A learner driver who was so intoxicated that he could not stand up properly confessed to police he had downed 10 shots before he was stopped.
A court heard that the legs of Nathan Wood, 22, ‘couldn’t support his own weight’ when he made the shocking admission by the roadside.
Police were stunned after Wood, from Ashington, Northumberland, admitted he had drunk 10 shots of sambuca, but still came under the legal breathalyser limit after he gave a reading of 21 microgrammes. The legal limit is 35.
Officers were so convinced that Wood was drunk that they thought their machine was faulty and ordered another one. To their amazement, the court heard he passed that test as well.
Yet Wood was found to be over the drug drive limit after cocaine and a cocktail of other drugs – including the cocaine derivative BZE, diazepam, temazepam and nordiazepam – were found in his blood.
Wood was pulled over for driving a black Vauxhall Corsa on the A197 in Ashington, in the dark with no lights on in the early hours of April 13.
He also admitted that he only had a provisional licence and no insurance.
Wood has now been banned from the roads for 30 months after a judge told him he ‘could have killed someone’ because he was so intoxicated.
In court, Wood admitted he could not remember the incident because he was ‘so drunk’ and did not know how he passed the breathalyser.
He pleaded guilty to one count of driving whilst unfit through drugs and driving without a licence or insurance during a hearing at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court.
He managed to avoid jail but was given a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Bernard Begley said: ‘The only thing that draws me back from sending you away to prison today is you have not been in trouble before and you have pleaded guilty.
‘You have come within a hair’s breadth of that happening. You could have killed someone – that’s the reality of the situation.’
Rebecca Laverick, prosecuting, said: ‘He was so drunk that he appeared not to be able to carry his own weight.
‘He told the officers he had just done a 10 shot challenge, which is five shots of white sambuca and five shots of black sambuca.
‘The defendant was taken to the police station and asked to provide a breath sample. That gave concern to the officers because he was under the limit.
‘Another machine was ordered to the police station but a second sample was also under the limit.’
Kyle Patterson, mitigating, said Wood had a history of taking drugs recreationally but didn’t consider himself to normally be a ‘big drinker’.
The solicitor said: ‘He had a bad day on the day in question and there were some personal problems, which all got on top of him and he’s then gone out and done this.
‘He can’t remember the events of that evening. He’s extremely upset with himself and upset about the danger he could have caused to other road users.’
Wood was also fined a total of £150 for the no insurance or driving without a licence matters.