A MOTORIST with a bad drink driving record has received another lengthy ban after a further conviction for being over the limit while at the wheel.

Geoffrey Watson left court with a near £1,000 bill and was banned from the roads for almost four years after being caught driving with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

Magistrates were told the 56-year-old County Durham man came to police attention as he was driving slowly on the inside southbound lane of the A1(M) near Tadcaster, in North Yorkshire, on November 21.

The York bench was told he was also weaving between the inside and middle lanes.

Azhar Hussain, prosecuting, said when pulled over, near the junction with the A64, Watson gave a positive breath test of 70mg of alcohol, exactly twice the limit.

Watson, of Campbell Street, Tow Law, admitted drink driving and driving without insurance.

The court heard his ten convictions for 16 previous offences include drink driving in 2008 and 2015, for which he received driving bans of two and four years, respectively, with fines totalling £750.

In February 2017, he was convicted of driving while disqualified and without insurance, and received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for a year.

Duty solicitor Louise Berry, who spoke for Watson at the hearing, said he was unable to explain his actions, and added that he had been out for a meal with his son during which he had drunk wine.

He was disqualified from driving for 46 months and fined a total of £816, with £85 prosecution costs and an £82 statutory surcharge.

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