An uninsured drink driver was snared while making a 4am dash to the supermarket for booze.
Martin Hodgson was behind the wheel of his stepdaughter's car, which he was not legally allowed to drive, when he was pulled over in Tynemouth, North Tyneside.
A court heard that the 64-year-old failed a roadside breath test, later giving a reading of 79mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, when the legal limit is 35mcg.
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Hodgson told officers he had driving to get more alcohol from Tesco.
Now, Hodgson, of Hartington Road, in Marden Estate, North Shields, has been banned from the roads for 20 months after he pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and without insurance,
Sue Baker, prosecuting at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, said officers were on Beach Road, in Tynemouth, at 4,30am on December 21 when they spotted Hodgson travelling in a Audi A1.
Mrs Baker added: "In fact, the defendant was driving his stepdaughter's car, which he was not insured on.
"Police followed the vehicle and asked it to pull over into a lay-by. The defendant was fully compliant with that.
"He gave a positive roadside breath test and gave a mechanical reading of 79mcg once he got to the station.
"Once told what his reading was, he said "I'm not proud of it"."
The court heard that Hodgson had 33 offences on his record but none since 1992.
Representing himself in court, Hodgson said he suffered from issues with alcohol and had been driving to get more booze.
He added: "It was going well working with North Tyneside Recovery until December 12 when someone set our car alight on our driveway and that made me worse again.
"I turned back to alcohol. I am starting to come off it again."
Hodgson was given a 12-month community order and was fined £100 and made to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
