A STUDENT tipped for a promising army career has had his character “blemished” by a drink driving conviction.

Christopher David Field pleaded guilty to one charge of driving while above the legal alcohol limit at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard how the 19-year-old crashed his Seat Ibiza car into a tree, in Whitworth Road, Spennymoor, on April 8.

Alan Davison, prosecuting, said a chief superintendent attended the scene after a member of the public saw Field swerving off the road before crashing the car at about 11.50pm.

She went to see if Field was okay but when she spoke to him she noticed he was drunk and his speech “slurred”.

Field then ran off towards Whitworth Hall Hotel and was found 45 minutes later in the hotel’s grounds.

When he was eventually breathalysed, he was found to have 70 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath; twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Richard Arnot, mitigating, said his client had a promising career in the army ahead of him and was due to enter Sandhurst after completing three years at university.

He also told the court how Field, of The Village, Brancepeth, Durham, was a man of previous good character and had played rugby for his county and even been captain of the Under 16s Newcastle Falcon’s team.

“He has an exemplary life and the things he has done are quite impressive,” he said.

“He is doing a masters degree and has just finished his first year and will be enrolling into Sandhurst - his career will be that of a soldier and an officer.”

He also said his client had ran off because he had been spooked by the chief supt who he claims did not offer any identification when she spoke to him.

“I respect the lady he spoke to was a senior police officer but she was aggressive with him and was swearing at him,” Mr Arnot added.

“By no means is Chris a wicked person or a bad person, he’s a young person who must pay the price for what he’s done - his character has been blemished and that’s something he will take a long time to recover from.”

Magistrate, Stephen Bowser, banned Field from driving for 18 months and fining him £165 as well as ordering him to pay costs.