A motorist who was more five times the legal limit after drinking vodka, beer and whisky and then crashing his partner’s car into a telegraph pole, was jailed for five months.
On Wednesday, Perth Sheriff Court heard how Stanislaw Macina, 41, of The Cross, Errol, drank alcohol at a BBQ, then a day later knocked back more beer at home before deciding to drive the vehicle, only to end up lying in the street after colliding with the pole.
Sheriff William Wood slammed his actions, telling the accused he must have known what he was doing and adding it was “no wonder” Macina he crashed.
Depute Fiscal Robbie Brown told the court: “Around 8pm witnesses heard a loud bang and saw the accused lying in the street beside a car that had collided with a telegraph pole,” he said.
“Police were contacted and breathalysed the accused and then found two whisky bottles lying inside the car.”
Solicitor Cliff Culley, defending, said his client was aware of the seriousness of the incident and realised it was a “high” reading.
“My client appreciates it was his misuse of alcohol that led to this incident – he has now stopped drinking,” he said.
Macina admitted that on December 3 last year on the B958 road between Errol and St Madoes, he drove with excess alcohol – 266 milligrams. The limit is 50.
He also pled guilty to charges that on the same date at The Cross, Errol, he drove a car away without legal permission and without insurance.
Sentencing Macina, Sheriff Wood told him: “I can’t emphasise enough how serious this offence was. While I understand you are a first offender, you must have known what you were doing by taking your partner’s car to go to work.
“You had been drinking vodka and beer at a BBQ the previous day, then drank more beer in the afternoon of this offence. It’s no wonder you ended up colliding with a telegraph pole.”
Macina was also disqualified from driving for 28 months, backdated to June 22.
