Highland electrician drove car while eight times over drink drive limit
An electrician wrote off his Peugeot hatchback car when he was driving on the A82 while eight times over the drink-drive limit, Inverness Sheriff Court heard today.
Police attended the scene and found Ewen Fraser’s car in a ditch at the side of the road south of Urquhart Castle on the morning of July 19.
Depute fiscal Ross Carvel said Fraser was at the scene and admitted he was the driver.
He was breath tested and the reading was 188mcgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath - the legal limit is 22mcgs. He admitted drink driving.
The fiscal said there appeared to have been a collision. The weather was good and the vehicle was found in a ditch beside a rockface.
The car was worth £10,450 and there was a motion from the Crown for its forfeiture but Sheriff Margaret Neilson heard the vehicle had been written off.
Ken Ferguson, solicitor, said Fraser (28) of Achtuie Farm, Drumnadrochit, had gone with his brother to friends to watch the Open Golf Championship and he fell asleep because he was heavily intoxicated.
Mr Ferguson said the others had arranged to play golf the following morning and woke him to tell him they were leaving.
“He foolishly made the decision to drive home. At the time he was anxious to get home to the family farm because he had some jobs to do.”
Sentence had been deferred for reports and Mr Ferguson said they suggested there was a developing issue with regards to alcohol.
Fraser, he said, was an electrician but his current employment was in doubt although he may be able to get part-time work.
“He has been driving for 11 years and has a good record.”
Sheriff Neilson told Mr Ferguson: “It could have been a much more serious case. He is lucky he came through this unscathed and others weren’t involved.”
The solicitor said an alternative to custody had been recommended in the reports and there was no point in vehicle confiscation because the vehicle was a write off.
“You were lucky to escape but I’ll not labour that point,” Sheriff Neilson told Fraser.
She banned him for three years and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work with one year’s supervision including alcohol treatment.
He was also given the opportunity to participate in the drink driver rehabilitation course which would reduce his disqualification by six months.
