A JET-SETTING businessman who drove his Jaguar while almost three times over the alcohol limit has been banned from driving for two years.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court also fined 53-year-old John Cornish £1,600 after hearing that he had 91mg of alcohol in his breath when he was stopped on North Road in Darlington at 9.30pm on March 19.

Prosecutor John Garside told the court that officers became suspicious when they saw Cornish’s Jaguar XF “meandering” towards the kerb and then back out into the road.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving in court today (Thursday, March 28).

Mitigating, Philip Morris said that Cornish, of Strawberry Vale, Twickenham, was the international marketing director for Quorn and travelled abroad often, but also spent a lot of time away from home working in the Darlington area.

Mr Morris described it as “something of a lonely existence” and said that on the night of the offence Cornish had been drinking with friends and was heading back to a hotel in Stokesley when he was stopped by the police.

Mr Morris added that Cornish was so “profoundly ashamed and embarrassed” about his actions that he had not told his wife or two grown-up children about his court appearance.

In addition to the £1,600 fine and 24-month driving ban, magistrates also ordered Cornish to pay £85 court costs and a £120 victim surcharge.