A cannabis smoker was caught by police in a 'sheer fluke' after he visited McDonald's.
Sean Barnett visited the Kingston Park McDonald's drive-thru but soon found himself swamped by police - just as he was handed his bag of food.
In what was branded a "perfect storm", Northumbria Police had received a string of reports that a Nissan Juke had been involved in a series of crimes in the area.
Unfortunately for Barnett that was the exact model he was driving - and officers swooped, only to find police found something else when they pulled his window down.
"(The officer) noticed a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle," said prosecutor Eve McDonnell.
The small bag was for his "own use", North Tyneside Magistrates' Court heard.
However his legal woes didn't end there as checks on the car revealed it was a rental from Enterprise rent-a-car which he claimed he had "borrowed".
And it also emerged he was driving while banned.
"The ban was very close to being at an end," said his solicitor Mark Harrison, who said he may have been just two days from expiring.
The defendant, of Wilton Court, admitted cannabis possession and driving without valid insurance or a licence.
He also pleaded guilty to taking the vehicle without consent.
However the circumstances behind those events, on April 19, were described as a "sheer fluke" by Mr Harrison and resulted in the defendant's first convictions in a decade.
He's now been tagged as part of a four-month community order which will see him serve a 8pm-6am curfew.
It followed mitigation that Barnett, a dad-to-be, was the carer for his partner who has "significant health problems".
