A 60-year-old Angus driver was so drunk in the early hours of New Year’s Day she struggled to walk round a police van which pulled over her weaving car.
Doreen Rennie gave a roadside breath test reading almost five times the limit after she had decided to drive herself and her husband when they could not get a taxi home from a Hogmanay night out.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard Rennie was so intoxicated she had not noticed a police van behind her as officers attempted to pull her over in the 3am incident.
Rennie, of Brothock Way, Arbroath appeared in the dock before Sheriff Alastair Brown where she admitted a charge of driving with excess alcohol (106 mics) on January 1 in Montrose Road, Arbroath.
Depute fiscal Laura McGillvery said officers were on patrol in a marked police van at 3.15am when they saw Rennie’s car hit the nearside pavement before straddling the centre line of the road through the town.
“Blue lights were activated and she initially appeared not to have noticed,” the fiscal added.
Police then flashed their lights behind her and when sirens were activated, the accused pulled in.
Rennie could not roll down the window of her car or find the keys and she was then asked to get out of the vehicle to provide a breath test in the police vehicle.
“She struggled to walk round the other side of the van,” the fiscal said.
Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said the couple had been at a New Year party and the accused had driven there with the intention of getting a taxi home.
Sheriff Brown told the accused: “I am quite sure you never thought you would be appearing in the dock of a sheriff court.
“I also suspect I don’t have to lecture you on the dangers of drink-driving.
“Drink-drivers kill people, not always themselves.
“Your level was between four and five times the limit. You were clearly in a dreadful state,” said the sheriff.
He fined Rennie £500 and banned her from driving for 16 months.
