A motorist from Dundee was caught at almost five times the drink-drive limit in Stirlingshire after mistakenly believing he was downing non-alcoholic beer.
Kevin Parkin initially bought himself a Guinness Zero but friends purchasing subsequent rounds believed he was drinking the standard version, with an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 4.2%.
The 64-year-old was caught after his car left the road on a rural route out of Dunblane.
Fiscal depute Lindsay Brooks told Stirling Sheriff Court the crash was discovered shortly after 10pm on March 1.
She said: “The witnesses were travelling north out of Dunblane when they saw a vehicle which was off the road on a banking.
”They stopped beside the vehicle and saw a male, now known to be the accused, in the driver’s seat.
”He was awake and seemed physically fine but they could get no response from him.”
Believing the situation was “odd”, the witnesses contacted police.
Wrong rounds
Solicitor Fraser McCready, defending, said Parkin had returned to the Dunblane area to collect a jacket he had left there.
He said: “He’s embarrassed to be here.
”He had been at the Lodge in Dunblane. He had left his jacket, having been there previously.
”He went there with a friend and they went to the bar there. He had ordered a Guinness Zero.
”Others joined them and saw he was drinking Guinness and clearly did not realise it was the non-alcoholic one he was drinking.
”He had a number of pints of Guinness – he thought it was Guinness Zero but clearly it wasn’t.
”He had stopped to get something to eat and was driving back when his car hit a pothole and that’s why he ended up on the grass.”
Mr McCready said he had asked Parkin if he had felt the effects of alcohol but the accused “felt he was ok to drive”.
Parking, of Gardner Street, Dundee, admitted driving with excess alcohol (103mics/ 22) on the B8033 on March 1 this year.
The offshore worker was disqualified from driving for 20 months and fined £600.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
