An Angus woman who recorded “spectacular” breath alcohol levels behind the wheel has been spared jail.
Lorraine Walker-Munro from Kincaldrum, near Forfar, was caught driving in a garage forecourt at almost seven times the legal alcohol limit in October last year.
The 54-year-old appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and was told by a sheriff that her breath alcohol reading may have been the “highest” he has seen.
Walker-Munro pled guilty to driving in the forecourt and car park of McConnachie’s Garage in Lindsay Street, Arbroath on October 15 with a reading of 151 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath — the limit is 22mics.
Defending Walker-Munro, solicitor Billy Rennie said: “The problem in this case is clearly the high reading.
“The locus is restricted to that part of the area, but this is a fairly spectacular reading.
“She has put it to me that she hasn’t had any endorsements on her licence previously.
“She is learning a lesson from this whole process and was under a lot of stress at the time.”
Mr Rennie asked for Sheriff Gregor Murray to impose a number of unpaid hours on Walker-Munro.
“She’s clearly going to suffer a number of consequences, such as the loss of her licence for a fair period of time,” he added.
“She’s been 37 years driving without a single thing.”
Sheriff Murray imposed the highest number of unpaid hours, 200, discounted from 300 due to the time of her plea, to be completed within 18 months.
She will also be banned from holding a licence for three years.
He told Walker-Munro: “I think given the background, there is an alternative to custody.
“From the explanation that you have given to the court, it’s clear that alcohol must play a very significant part in your life.
“I leave you to deal with that.
“If this isn’t the highest reading I’ve seen while on the bench, it’s very close.”
