A BANNED driver who was caught behind the wheel near Skipton more than double the drink-drive limit has escaped an immediate prison sentence.

Lee Llewelyn, 34, of Pearl Close, Knaresborough, appeared at Skipton Magistrates’ Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving while banned and driving without insurance.

He was given a 12-week suspended sentence; ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and to comply with rehabilitation activities and alcohol treatment. He was also disqualified from driving for three years.

Once he has served the ban, Llewelyn will need to take an extended driving test before being allowed on the roads again.

The incident was reported to the North Yorkshire Police control room by several concerned members of the public at around 4.50pm on Monday August 5, the court was told.

They had seen Llewelyn behaving suspiciously in a white Nissan Juke car that was parked in a lay-by on the A59 at Haw Park House to Holme Lane. Llewelyn was then seen driving off in the direction of Bolton Abbey.

Traffic Constable David Minto was alerted to the scene and located the suspect vehicle at just past 5pm.

Llewelyn initially failed to stop when TC Minto flashed the blue lights and instructed him to pull over.

When the car was brought to a safe stop at 5.20pm on White Wall Lane towards Harrogate, Llewelyn failed a roadside breath test.

He was arrested for this offence as well as the other two offences that he was later charged with.

The evidential reading in police custody recorded Llewelyn as having 84 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35.

After the court hearing, TC Minto said: “The defendant clearly has no regard for other road users.

“Despite being handed a two-year disqualification for failing to provide a specimen following a damage-only collision in Knaresborough on May 15, he chose to drive a vehicle three months later.

“Not only that he was drunk whilst doing so – he was more than double limit.

“North Yorkshire Police will never tire of putting these selfish, irresponsible and dangerous individuals before the courts to reduce the risk to other motorists and pedestrians.”