Over the past month, dozens of people have appeared in Teesside Courts for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Teesside Live reported on many culprits who found themselves in the dock. Here are some of the people who have been brought to justice over the past few weeks.

Adam Orly

Adam Orley, from Hartlepool, has been banned from the roads for 18 months after a late night incident last year. The 20-year-old was driving his Vauxhall Astra down Rossmere Way when he hit a woman who had hit the road on July 24.

READ MORE: A motorist who paralyzed traffic in Hartlepool following an accident already banned from driving

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard how, in a panic, Orley fled the scene in his car and abandoned it. Shortly after, he was arrested and blood tests showed he had both cocaine and benzoylecgonine (a breakdown product of cocaine) in his system.

Orley, of Argyll Road, admitted two counts of driving over the specified legal drug limit and one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident. The court explained that Orley was not responsible for the accident because the woman appeared to be drunk.

At the hearing on April 22, the court heard the 20-year-old had taken cocaine “a few days” before the accident but it remained in his system. Mitigating Neil Taylor said Orley was unaware of how long cocaine stays in the system after taking it.

District Judge Helen Cousins ​​banned Orley from driving for 18 months and ordered him to pay a £240 fine.

John Chapman

John Chapman, who had “hazy, glassy eyes”, got behind the wheel of a Toyota Yaris despite having no license or insurance. The 35-year-old was three times over the cocaine limit when he was arrested by police.

The Hartlepool man pleaded guilty to four counts when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. Prosecutor Sarah Malkinson told how officers were on duty and spotted the vehicle on Jesmond Road in the city in November last year. Chapman provided a blood sample in custody which revealed he had over 32 ug/L of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10. He also had over 800 ug/L of benzoylecgonine (BZE) – the breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50.

During the hearing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, Chapman, of Warren Road, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle other than in accordance with a licence, operating a motor vehicle on a road or public place without third-party insurance and two counts of driving under the influence of drugs.

Chapman received an 18-month driving ban and was ordered to pay £239 to the courts.

Michael Wheatley

Michael Wheatley got behind the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra on April 24 – the same night Tyson Fury faced Dillian Whyte at Wembley – because he “couldn’t get a taxi” from his friend’s house.

The 37-year-old was “putting his words together” when he was arrested by Cleveland police officers on Trunk Road in Redcar.

Wheatley, of Grangetown’s Slater Road, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while his alcohol level was over the limit, when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. Tests showed he had 68 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Mitigating Richard Bennett recounted how Wheatley “went to a friend’s house to watch a boxing match” the night before. However, he “couldn’t get a taxi” and “made the wrong decision” to drive his car home.

The court heard he was “calm and docile with the police throughout”. Mr Bennett said Wheatley is a ‘single man and lives alone’ but is caring for his father. He received a 17-month driving ban and a £239 court bill.

Christopher Turner

Christopher Turner pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court. The incident took place at Sainsbury’s on Station Road in Hartlepool on the evening of April 9.

The court heard a drunk Turner going to the supermarket to buy more alcohol – despite his house being less than a five-minute walk away. After buying some wine, he was spotted pulling out of a parking space by a police officer on duty who yelled at him to stop when he heard a knock. Turner, of Glentower Grove, had hit a stationary car but hadn’t noticed it.

The 52-year-old appeared unrepresented in court but said on the day of the incident his family had been in hospital all day as his stepfather was seriously ill.

Following the incident, Turner underwent a breath test and gave a reading of 103 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath. He is of good character and assured the magistrates that he would not offend again.

Turner was banned from driving for 28 months and fined £1,104. He was also asked to pay £85 in court costs and a victim fine surcharge of £110.

Andrew Nes

A drunk driver who was caught slumping over the wheel of his van was more than three times over the limit.

Andrew Ness, 52, was spotted by a police officer driving the vehicle on Prince Regent Street in Stockton. Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard he appeared slumped at the wheel as he crossed a junction controlled by traffic lights. He gave a breath test reading of 120 micrograms of alcohol in 100 milliliters of breath. The limit is 35.

Ness, of Westbury Street, Thornaby, pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while his alcohol limit was over the limit.

John Dixon, defending, told in court how Ness suffered from alcohol abuse and lost his job a few years ago due to poor timing. He said the defendant had now abstained from alcohol and had to start work.

Ness was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to comply with an alcohol treatment requirement for nine months. He was banned from driving for 32 months and had to perform 150 hours of unpaid work. Ness must also pay £85 in fees and an additional £128.

Shane Foster

The roofing business owner has been fined £3,000 after he was caught driving drugs twice – just over a month apart.

Shane Foster admitted driving a Ford Transit van on November 4 last year and a Vauxhall Combo on December 8 when the proportion of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) in his system was higher than the legal limit. The 24-year-old, from Darlington, gave readings of 2.2 and 3.1 ug/L after being stopped by officers who suspected he may have been under the influence. The legal limit is 2ug/L.

Ian Martin, prosecuting, said there was nothing about his conduct that was “particularly out of the ordinary”. The accused had already been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving when he got behind the wheel while under the influence a second time.

Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard how Foster, who was previously of good character, found himself as the main breadwinner in his Harrowgate Village home after his parents separated shortly before the time of the offences.

Foster was banned from driving for 17 months and fined £3,000. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a victim fine surcharge of £190.

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