Motorists have been convicted of drink driving in counties Durham and Darlington

They all appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court where they pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with an alcohol content above the legal limit.

• Liam Faulkner22, from Spennymoor, County Durham, was behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Astra on Morley Lane, Brancepeth, when he was arrested on August 1, 2023.

An alcohol test showed a level of 59 micrograms per 100 milliliters of breath, exceeding the prescribed limit.

He was fined £500 and banned from driving for 16 months. If you successfully complete a course by July 13, 2024, this will result in a reduction of 16 weeks.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £200 and £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service.

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• Cody Morrow20, of Third Street, Horden, County Durham, was driving a Volkswagen Polo along Bede Way when he was arrested on August 5.

An alcohol test showed an alcohol content of 57 micrograms in 100 milliliters, exceeding the legal limit.

He was disqualified from driving for 15 months, with a possible reduction of 15 weeks if he successfully completed the course.

He was also fined £346 and ordered to pay additional costs totaling £223.

• Scott Armstrong42, of Frosterley Gardens in Stanley, was driving his Vauxhall Meriva on Front Street in Consett when he was stopped on August 5.

A breathalyzer test showed he had 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath, exceeding the legal limit.

He was disqualified from driving for 38 months, fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge of £48.

• Adam Burnicle34, Glamis Terrace, Evenwood, was caught driving a Range Rover on West Auckland Road, Darlington, on August 5 after consuming so much alcohol that a breathalyzer test showed a reading of 61 micrograms per 100 milliliters of breath – which exceeded the legal limit.

He was banned from driving for 36 months and fined £833. He was also ordered to pay £85 to the Crown Prosecution Service and a £333 surcharge.

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• Phillip Kacis42, from Darlington, was behind the wheel of a Skoda Octavia when he was arrested on Salters Lane North in Darlington on February 26.

He had a blood alcohol level of 268 milligrams per 100 milliliters, which was above the legal limit.

Kacis was given a 26-month driving ban, with the possibility of a 26-week reduction if he completes a course.

He was also given a community order requiring him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work within 12 months, ending on September 3, 2024.

In addition, Kacis was ordered to pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £85 and a surcharge of £114.