A lorry driver who was “astonished” to be over the drink-drive limit at Dunfermline’s Amazon depot, after drinking “one Stella” and swallowing Listerine mouthwash, has been sentenced.
Petrica Anghelache, a 43-year-old Romanian national, previously pled guilty to driving an HGV at the site after consuming excess alcohol (27mics/22).
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard he was driving the lorry to the Amazon warehouse and arrived just before 9:45pm on May 30.
The court heard police were contacted after Anghelache spoke to a staff member, who could smell alcohol.
His keys were removed and when officers arrived, Anghelache confirmed he was the driver.
The marginal reading was returned at the police station.
Single Stella and mouthwash
At an earlier court hearing, prosecutor Azrah Yousaf said Anghelache was “astonished” he was over the limit.
Defence lawyer Pete Robertson said a few hours earlier, Anghelache had been dining with a friend.
The solicitor said his client had “one Stella Artois” and had used mouthwash on two occasions afterwards.
Mr Robertson said Anghelache, who lives in Doncaster, used Listerine but was unaware of the alcohol content and had swallowed it.
The solicitor also said his client was under the belief he was under the prescribed limit, as he usually lives in England and was not aware of the different legal limit in Scotland.
Banned and fined
Anghelache returned to the dock this week for a proof to decide if there were special reasons not to disqualify him from driving.
However, Mr Robertson said he was no longer of the view there are special reasons, having reviewed the case.
In mitigation, he highlighted once again Anghelache only had one beer.
Mr Robertson also pointed out his client had only driven the lorry a distance of about 100 metres, as he had been parked outside and moved the vehicle into the site.
He said it is inevitable his client will lose his job, from which he had been earning £650 to £700 per week and was sending up to £550 back to Romania for his family and parents, who need medical treatment.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland banned Anghelache from driving for a year.
The sheriff also fined him £150 and said he took particular account of his circumstances in Romania and his early guilty plea.
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