A drink driver was caught twice in five years after police spotted him travelling with no headlights on.
Dad-of-two Cain Priest had already been pulled over while drunk behind the wheel in Scotland in 2015 when he made the decision to do it again.
The 33-year-old had been celebrating taking over his father's business when he drove home from his dad's house in the early hours of the morning on December 20.
But, Priest failed to put on his headlights and he soon came to the attention of police officers, who stopped him in his Peugeot on Front Street, in Seaton Burn.
He failed a roadside breath test and later gave a reading of 61 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is just 35.
Priest, of Havannah Drive, in Wideopen, has now been banned for the roads for three years after he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court.
Grace Taylor, prosecuting, said: "Officers' attention was drawn to the defendant's vehicle as it was driving with no headlights on.
"They indicated for him to pull over, which he did.
"When speaking to him, it became obvious he was intoxicated and failed a roadside breath test."
The court heard that Priest claimed he'd been at his father's celebrating taking over his business and had fallen asleep on the sofa at around 10pm.
Sunny Thandi, defending, added: "He woke up at 4.30am to numerous missed calls from his wife. The relationship was going through a rough patch, so he spontaneously decided to get in his vehicle to drive home.
"He thought he was OK to drive but clearly not."
Fining Priest £300 and ordering him to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge, District Judge Paul Currer said: "This offence is always serious as you went to drive the car and you were incapable of controlling it because of the amount of alcohol you consumed."
