A “dangerous” drink-driver was shopped to police after he was spotted chugging vodka outside a Perth newsagents.
Martin Tolman got behind the wheel after taking a swig from a booze-filled water bottle at RS McColl in the city’s Oakbank area.
He later tried to persuade police he had not touched a drop until he got home on nearby Fairies Road.
The 63-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted driving while he was almost four times the legal limit on February 25, last year.
Tolman was banned from driving for nearly two years and fined £900.
Swigged
Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis told the court: “The accused was seen to enter RS McColl and buy a 70cl bottle of vodka.
“He was then observed to pour the vodka into a water bottle and take a drink from it.
“The accused was then seen entering a vehicle and driving away.
“At this point, the police were contacted.”
The court heard officers tracked down Tolman’s grey Vauxhall Meriva to his home in Fairies Road.
“The car was parked outside the property,” said Ms Lewis.
“Police knocked on the door and the accused answered.
“He said he had consumed whisky from a bottle five minutes before the police arrived.”
He told police: “The bottle of vodka is still unopened.”
Police recorded a reading of 80 mics of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 22 mics.
‘An act of folly’
Asked if his client agreed with the facts of the case as read out by the fiscal depute, solicitor Billy Somerville said: “It appears not but he has to accept it.”
The lawyer added: “Although the reading was particularly high, given his age I would ask that a financial penalty would be appropriate in this case.”
Sheriff William Wood told Tolman: “Clearly this was an act of folly.
“The alcohol reading in this case was fairly high, which infers you were drinking before you were seen with vodka outside RS McColl.
“And this would have made you something of a danger to other road users.”
Tolman, who was disqualified from driving for 23 months, told the court he is now “physically unable” to drive.
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