A golf course greenkeeper has been disqualified from driving after he was caught behind the wheel of a parked car while nearly five times the legal limit.
David Awburn was found drunk in his car in a layby on the A85 Perth to Crieff road in the early hours of March 3.
The 39-year-old told Perth Sheriff Court he had parked up after a row with his partner and had intended to spend the night in his vehicle.
While sitting in the driver’s seat, he drank from a bottle of vodka that he kept in his boot.
When he was found by a police officer, Awburn failed a roadside breath test and was found to have a reading of 103 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, well above the permitted limit of 22mics.
Sheriff rejects driving claim
At his trial on Monday, Awburn – who maintains the so-called G-West golf course near Gleneagles – tried to persuade the court he had no intention of driving off in the morning.
The court heard that, given the amount of alcohol he had consumed, he would not have been safe to drive until around 8pm.
But Sheriff William Wood rejected his claim and said it was likely that he intended to drive away.
“There was a reasonable prospect of you driving the car before you were fit to do so,” he told Awburn.
“There are two significant hurdles here.
“Firstly, you were in a layby and secondly you had consumed a substantial amount of alcohol at this remote location.”
Sheriff Wood said: “However much I try, I just can’t be satisfied there was no reasonable prospect of you driving until 8pm, particularly when you were in a disturbed state of mind.”
He found Awburn guilty of being in charge of his car while over the limit.
Slurring and bloodshot eyes
Police Constable Mark McDougall said he came across Awburn’s stationary Vauxhall Insignia in a layby near New Foulis.
“As I approached the vehicle, the driver’s door opened,” he said.
PC McDougall said that Awburn was “slurring his speech” and “his eyes were glazed, and bloodshot”.
“His breath was smelling of alcohol,” he said.
The officer said he spotted a half-empty bottle of vodka on the passenger seat.
‘I drank quite a lot of vodka’
Awburn, of Glover Street, Perth, told the court he had planned to stay at his mother’s house in Comrie, but did not want to turn up unannounced at 2am.
“I drank quite a lot of vodka,” he said.
“The next thing I knew, there was a torch at my window.”
Awburn said: “I have never been a drink driver.
“I’ve always been very cautious about that.
“I know its hard for people to understand but I would never drive a vehicle after drinking.”
Awburn was banned from driving for four months and ordered to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard he could get the bus to work at the GWest course, but would have difficulties without a car in the summer when players arrive earlier.
The Blackford site has been dubbed Scotland’s “ghost course” because it appears largely abandoned.
Mohsin Al-Tajir, a member of the family who owns the course, said last year development of the course had halted because of a downturn in the economy.
