A drink driver was more than three times the legal limit in an “afternoon after” Angus supermarket trip.
Craig Barclay thought he was safe to drive at around 2pm after drinking heavily the previous night but came to grief between his Laurencekirk home and Lidl in Montrose.
As the 44-year-old waited for a recovery truck after an accident, police arrived and the railway company employee was arrested after giving a positive roadside breath test.
It was his second drink-drive offence within three years.
A sheriff said Barclay must have had “an extraordinary amount of drink” the previous night.
Barclay, of High Street, Laurencekirk appeared before Sheriff Derek Reekie at Forfar having previously admitted driving with excess alcohol (76 mics) on the A92 near Montrose on October 8.
You must have had an extraordinary amount of drink the night before to still be at the level you were after a day’s work.
Sheriff Derek Reekie
The court heard the accused had taken the bus to and from work that day but by around 2pm, felt he was fit to drive.
He set off for Montrose but hit a verge and punctured two tyres. Barclay’s solicitor said his client was taking active steps to address his problems.
Sheriff Reekie told the accused: “You clearly have a serious issue with alcohol.
Accused had previous similar offence
“You have had a previous warning because within the last three years you committed an offence of the same nature.
“I’m told this was the morning after, or more importantly, the afternoon after.
The custody threshold has been met, but I’m satisfied there is an alternative.
Sheriff Derek Reekie
“If it was you must have had an extraordinary amount of drink the night before to still be at the level you were after a day’s work.
“In your favour you made no attempt to avoid detection. The custody threshold has been met, but I’m satisfied there is an alternative to that.”
Barclay was banned for three years and ordered to do 90 hours unpaid work under a one year community payback order.
