A PERTHSHIRE man who was stopped by police for drink-driving twice within three days was branded a “danger to the public” at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday.

Robert Palmer (55) was in the middle of a drinking binge and drove to a local shop when he ran out of alcohol, the court heard.

When he was first stopped by police he was more than three times over the legal limit and two days later he was exactly three times over.

Palmer, of Duchess Street, Stanley, admitted driving with excess alcohol (107 mics) on that street on July 28 and also admitted driving with excess alcohol (105 mics) on the B9099 Stanley to Luncarty road on July 30.

Sentence was deferred for the preparation of background reports and Sheriff Iain Fleming imposed an interim disqualification.

Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy told the court that for the first incident a member of the public telephoned the police to tell them a “drunk male” was driving a vehicle at around 7.35pm.

He was later stopped by police officers and released on an undertaking to appear at Perth Sheriff Court on August 10.

On July 30 at 6pm, however, officers on routine patrol in the Stanley area stopped Palmer’s vehicle because of the manner in which it was being driven.

They smelled alcohol on his breath and he was breathalysed.

Solicitor John McLaughlin said, “This was a binge which started on the Saturday and went through to the Monday. He has a binge every so often—he reckons there are four months in between.”

Palmer has contacted Alcoholics’ Anonymous to receive help.

Sheriff Fleming commented, “I have to be concerned you were driving not once, but twice, with significant levels of alcohol in your system. You are a danger to the public.”

Palmer will be sentenced on August 22.