'He never intended to drive': Points for university student caught over the limit behind wheel of friend's BMW

George Thomas Brown, 19, of Long Mynd Close, Willenhall, was sentenced at Telford Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to being in charge of a motor vehicle while above the alcohol limit.

Helen Shipley, prosecuting, said the incident had taken place in Shrewsbury on August 15.

Brown had been in the town with friends on a night out when police noticed a loudly revving engine in the Hills Lane Car Park in Barker Street.

When they attended they found Brown behind the wheel of the car - which was his friend’s vehicle.

The court heard that police asked him to get out of the car and he told them he “was not going to drive” and that the hand brake was on.

Mrs Shipley said he had also told officers he had drunk alcohol.

They carried out a roadside breath-test and found he was over the legal limit.

The recording was 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.

Kate Cooper, mitigating, said Brown was only a provisional licence holder, and had actually been booked to take his test in five weeks time.

She said: “He never intended to drive.”

She added that he had no previous offences, had complied with the police, and had pleaded guilty.

She described the incident as “very much out of character” for the university student, and added that it had been a “relatively low reading”.

Brown was fined £80, and ordered to pay £85 costs as well as a £32 victim surcharge.

He will also have ten penalty points added to his licence.