A learner driver was branded a “stupid boy” by his own lawyer after being caught drink-driving the week before sitting his test.
Liam Jones had almost twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system when he borrowed a friend’s Toyota Yaris on July 26 last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard he decided to “have a go” of the car in the Scott Street car park in Perth but stalled it, attracting the attention of nearby police.
Jones said: “The car belongs to one of his friends. Clearly Mr Jones had been drinking. He only had a provisional licence and no insurance but he thought he’d have a go round the car park.”
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, quoted the hapless leader in the TV show Dad’s Army, saying: “As Captain Mainwaring would say ‘stupid boy’. This was at about 3am. The way it’s described to me is that he didn’t go much further than the car park he stalled.
“He was a week away from taking his test. He had to cancel it as a result. He is due to start university later this year and a consequence of this is it could cause him trouble in his later career.”
Sheriff William Wood disqualified Jones for 15 months and fined him £315.
Jones, of Malvina Place, Perth, admitted driving the vehicle whilst under the influence of alcohol, having no insurance and driving on a provisional licence without an accompanying driver and without L plates.
The 19-year-old was found to have 63mics of alcohol in his breath, almost twice the legal limit of 35.