Teen Loses Licence After Casino Night Ends in Drunk-Driving Arrest

_{Spot check by police caught the teenager. (Image: Peter Simpson/Alamy)}

What started as a night out at a Gateshead casino turned into a costly mistake for a Sunderland teenager.

Connor Johnson, 19, thought he was fine to drive after a few drinks at a casino with friends a decision that cost him his licence for 17 months.

Police in an unmarked car spotted his borrowed Nissan Qashqai swerving across lanes on the A184 Felling Bypass at Gateshead around midnight on October 21. When they pulled him over, officers said he smelled strongly of alcohol and appeared glassy-eyed.

A roadside breath test showed a reading of 61 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, nearly twice the legal limit of 35.

‘He Should Have Taken the Taxi’

Prosecutor Emily Hunt told South Tyneside magistrates that Johnson’s driving fell below acceptable standards. 

“Officers were on patrol in an unmarked car when they saw a Nissan Qashqai swerving from the nearside to offside curb,” she said.

Johnson, who lives on Mailings Close in Sunderland city centre, had no previous convictions. Defence solicitor Stephen Hamill said his client had been out at a casino, had eaten, and believed he was under the limit.

“He instructs me that this is a classic case of having a couple of drinks while visiting a casino with friends,” Hamill said. 

“They were planning to take a taxi, but he thought he was ok to drive. He should have erred on the side of caution and got that taxi.”

Fine and Ban, Plus a Lesson Learned

Magistrates handed Johnson a 17-month driving ban, fined him £120, and ordered him to pay £85 in court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.

They also offered him a place on a drink-driver rehabilitation course, which can reduce a ban by up to a quarter.

Hamill said Johnson, who had borrowed his grandfather’s car, “loses his good name by way of this conviction” but intends to take the rehabilitation course.

Think Before You Drink and Drive

This case is a stark reminder of the risks of mixing gambling and alcohol, especially when driving is involved. Casinos often promote responsible gaming and responsible drinking, but as this night showed, one bad decision can change a young person’s future behind the wheel.