Petrol station staff have been praised by a drunk driver for seizing his keys and calling the police after he staggered across the forecourt at North Street, Wetherby, clutching an empty bottle of wine.
Retired solicitor Trevor Beddoe, 64, admitted driving while over the drink drive limit when he appeared at Wakefield magistrate Court.
Prosecutor Richard Ogden said: “Police were called to the Fina petrol station to reports of a man staggering in the shop, who appeared to be over the limit.
“He went into the shop and put an empty wine bottle onto the bin at the entrance. The member of staff asked him if he had been drinking. He said he’d had a glass of wine and the member of staff took the keys out of his ignition to prevent him driving off.”
He was later found to be three and a half times over the drink drive limit.
Beddoe, who has previous convictions for drink driving in 1999 and 2010, told magistrates he was an alcoholic who had battled a booze addiction since retiring around five years ago.
“I stupidly decided to take the car.” He added: “Obviously I smelt of drink and the members of staff very public spiritedly took my keys and said I would not be driving anywhere.”
Bench chairman David Petts adjourned sentence until January to allow an all-options – including custody – probation report to be prepared on Beddoe.
He was granted unconditional bail and handed a provisional driving ban.
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