A BUILDER was shopped to the police for drink-driving by his girlfriend after they had a row, an Isle of Wight court was told.

Luke Jake Rose, of Lea Road, Lake, banned from driving for three years after he admitted drink-driving on June 4.

The disqualification reflected the seriousness of it being his second drink-drive offence following a previous conviction before Island magistrates in 2018.

"Police received information Rose was driving his Transit van while under the influence of alcohol, to his mother's house in Ryde," explained Liz Miller, prosecuting, at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court.

"Police saw him turn into Reed Street and pulled him over and he subsequently failed a roadside breath test."

At the police station, Rose, 31, gave another breath test. The reading was 59 microgrammes. The drink-drive limit is 35.

"An aggravating feature is that he drove from Lake to Ryde," Miss Miller added.

For Rose, Barry Arnett, said his client's girlfriend informed the police he was drink-driving and heading to Ryde.

"They had an argument and he felt he should leave. He phoned a number of taxis and couldn't get one," said Mr Arnett, in mitigation.

"Foolishly, against the advice of his mother, he drove. His van was sitting outside, one thing led to another and he drove to his mother's, where he was going to stay.

"The police knew exactly where he was going. He pulled over straightaway.

"There are going to be dire consequences. Not only is he disqualified from driving, he is a self-employed builder without the ability to transport materials from site A to site B.

"During the pandemic, the building trade had been hit. The irony is he's only just started to get back on his feet and this is all going to collapse."

Alongside his driving ban, Rose was fined £220, with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

"What you did was foolish. You've got no one but yourself to blame," said presiding magistrate, Keith Jones.