A drunken driver who demolished part of a village bridge and smashed into a parked car in Perthshire was weeks later caught motoring down the M90 at six times the legal limit.
Siobhan Petrie accelerated into the side of a stone crossing in Dunning centre, before steering her Volvo into a stationary Land Rover.
When police tried to breathalyse the 45-year-old, she bit down, sucked and blew lightly on the tube, preventing officers from getting an accurate reading.
Just 12 weeks later, Petrie called for help from a motorway telephone, near Broxden, claiming she had run out of fuel and ranting incoherently.
Petrie appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted charges of careless driving, drink-driving and refusing to provide specimens of breath.
She was told she was lucky she had not hurt anyone.
Village centre collision
Fiscal depute Nicola Caira said Petrie drove the the village shop at about 8pm on January 6, parked and left her vehicle.
“But she stopped, paused and decided not to go to the shop. Instead she got back in her car. She appeared to be unsteady on her feet.”
A witness on her way home from a gym class saw Petrie putting her car into reverse and mounting a pavement.
“She then accelerated and turned sharply, hitting the stone wall of the bridge on the opposite side of the road,” said Ms Caira.
“She became stuck due to the debris.
“The wall collapsed and fell into the burn below.”
The fiscal depute said: “The accused then managed to move the vehicle forward, colliding with a green Land Rover before coming to a stop.”
Members of the public from a nearby hotel came out to help.
Petrie was taken into the bar and a friend was called to pick her up.
Breathalyser
Police officers went to the scene and saw the stranded car, before checking CCTV.
When they spoke to Petrie at her friend’s house, she confirmed she had been driving.
When she was taken to Dundee police HQ to be breathalysed, she was uncooperative.
Ms Caira said: “She made attempts to hinder the process by placing the tube into her cheek, blowing lightly and biting down.”
On her second attempt, she tried to suck on the tube and put in back inside her cheek.
Ms Caira added: “It was explained by the officer that she had one final chance to comply. She shook her head and sat down.”
When charged, she replied: “That’s absolute b***ocks. Just take me home.”
Motorway phone call
The court heard that at about 2.20pm on March 29, police received a call from a roadside emergency phone on the M90, near Broxden.
“It was from a female, now identified as the accused, sounding extremely confused,” said the fiscal depute.
Police went to the scene and saw Petrie “holding onto” the roadside box, with a Corsa parked nearby.
“The accused was upset and emotional,” said Ms Caira.
“As she walked towards officers they noticed she was unsteady and staggering.
“The accused stated she had run out of fuel but she was incoherent and not making any sense.”
She was breathalysed and gave an initial reading of 165 mics per 100 ml of blood, but later gave a confirmed reading of 132 mics. The legal limit is 22 mics.
Wake-up call
Solicitor Jamie Baxter, defending, said: “Clearly there is an issue here that needs to be addressed.
“The accused does not have a great recollection of either of these occasions.
“She accepts that she had been drinking prior to these incidents. Regarding the second case, she had been drinking the night before.”
Mr Baxter said when his client struck the bridge, the car’s driveshaft snapped.
When she was caught drink-driving on the motorway, she had been on her way to pick up a friend at Broxden.
Sheriff Derek Reekie told Petrie said: “I really hope this has been a wake up call for you.
“You have a serious issue with alcohol and when you get behind the wheel on two occasions, that becomes a matter of serious public concern.
“You are very fortunate that there wasn’t injury to others.
“You shouldn’t have been anywhere near a car.”
The sheriff questioned her claims her “extraordinarily high” reading was caused by drinking the night before.
Petrie, of Dunning, was banned from driving for four years, fined £1,050 and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work.
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