Former X Factor star guilty of drink-driving

A court heard how Aiden Grimshaw, 26, who reached the live finals of the 2010 show had been performing at a golf club.

Grimshaw of Byfield Avenue, Bispham, was banned from driving for 20 months.

He was breath-tested by police in Blackpool after his VW car was seen parked at an angle on a grass verge in the early hours of the morning at the start of Lancashire Constabulary’s annual festive anti drinking drive campaign.

Grimsha was also fined £ 120 and must pay £115 court costs Blackpool Magistrates ruled.

Prosecutor Andrew Robinson said that at 1-35am police saw Grimshaw’s car on the verge on Forest Gate, Blackpool.

When police approached Grimshaw he said he had been drinking and a breath test revealed 75 micrograms of alcohol in his body – the limit is 35.

Suzanne Mugford, defending, said that her client was a professional musician and singer who was trying to re establish his trade.

“The driving ban will hit him hard as he regularly drove to and from his home to London,” she said.

The lawyer said that on the night of the offence Grimshaw had been playing a gig at a local golf club where he drank two and a half pints.

He had parked his car at the club and did not know whether he could leave it all night.He decided to move it but his battery went flat and he had to pull onto the verge where the police found him.

During his run on the X factor Grimshaw was mentored by Kylie Minogue.He went out in the live stages in the year the competition was won by Matt Cardle.