A rogue motorist notched up his 33rd conviction for driving while disqualified yesterday adding five more offences to his record.
John Clarkson, 43, also admitted another three offences of driving with excess alcohol, each time while double the legal limit, and five times he had no insurance when police stopped him.
The third recent time when he was arrested he told officers: "No problem," said Shaun Dryden, prosecuting. Clarkson was first stopped in his Land Rover on September 21, 2001, near Spennymoor. He confirmed that he was banned, and a blood test showed he was double the legal limit, Teesside Crown Court was told.
Eight days later he was stopped driving the same vehicle near Chilton. He was again driving the Land Rover near his home at 4am, on October 4, 2001 and another blood test gave the same alcohol reading as before.
Clarkson failed to keep court dates for the cases and he was arrested again in September 2002 for burglary of Stephens Shoe Repairs, in North Street, Ferryhill, where his blood and skin were found on broken glass and he said he was drunk.
Then on August 17 last year police found him lying across the driver's seat of a Fiat Punto in a layby off the A19 near Thirsk. His two children aged nine and 11 were in the rear seat and the engine was running.
He said that he had been to Scarborough for the day, and when he gave a breath test he was again double the legal limit.
Clarkson then had 28 previous convictions for driving while disqualified, and in 2001 he was subject to two disqualifications.
Robin Turton, in mitigation, said that Clarkson had been remanded to prison during which time his father died from cancer and Clarkson missed the funeral.
Clarkson, of Manor Way, Peterlee, was remanded in custody for reports after he pleaded guilty to five offences of driving while disqualified, five of no insurance, three of excess alcohol and a burglary offence.
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