A NHS nurse and Covid vaccinator was caught drink driving by police after being spotted swigging from a large Desperados bottle in an Asda car park.
Norma Cromar, 60, had turned to alcohol after losing her life savings to a cryptocurrency scam.
Cromar, of Hospitalfield Gardens in Arbroath, jumped into her grey Mini on the afternoon of September 1 after drinking the tequila-infused lager.
Fiscal Depute Bill Kermode said: “At around 4:30pm, police received a call from a witness.
“The witness saw the accused drink from a glass bottle before getting in a car.”
Officers tracked down Cromar and breathalysed her, receiving a test reading of 60 microgrammes per 100ml of breath– nearly three times the limit.
Upon being arrested, she told officers she had not drunk since 12pm.
At Forfar Sheriff Court, Cromar pled guilty to driving while intoxicated at Westway Retail Park, West Way, Hospitalfield Road and elsewhere in Arbroath.
Stress
Her defence solicitor explained the stress of being scammed out of tens of thousands of pounds had driven Cromar to drink.
He said: “She got involved in investing savings in cryptocurrency.
“She turned to alcohol due to stress. She only drinks on days off from work.
“When she’s off work, she’s left with the stress. She was on holiday that week.”
He explained Cromar, who has worked as an NHS nurse for the last 17 years, had been on a night out at a Mexican restaurant the night before.
“It was one of the extra large bottles,” he said of the drink.
“It’s infused with tequila.
“For reasons she cannot explain, she bought one of these and drank it.
“She’s not really able to explain why she did what she did.”
Cromar, who has no previous convictions, was banned from driving for 12 months by Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown.
The sheriff also fined her £355.
