A MOTORIST caught driving while more than four times the legal alcohol limit has been handed a suspended jail sentence.

Paul James Brice was caught drink driving on Brompton Road in Northallerton on February 12 this year.

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North Yorkshire Magistrates sitting at York heard that a breath test revealed he had 149 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - over four times the legal limit of 35mg.

Brice, of Wide Yard, Brompton, pleaded guily to drink driving on March 1 and was back in court for sentencing on Wednesday (March 30).

The 41-year-old was banned from driving for 36-months and given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12-months.

Magistrates said the custody threshold had been met due to the offence being so serious given the high reading of alcohol.

But they suspended the custodial sentence due to the impact a prison term would have on Brice's business and employees.

Brice was also sentenced to a 12-month supervision order with 80-hours of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £213 in court costs and charges.

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