An IT analyst has been fined £1,000 after waking up in his car following a night out and deciding to drive to a supermarket to quench his thirst.
Ross Cumming, of Summerhill Drive in Aberdeen, had been out in the city with friends on Saturday, February 9, when he realised he had no money for a taxi home and opted to sleep in his Citroen C4 hatchback – which he had left at the Denburn car park.
The 26-year-old woke up at about 3.30am with a dry throat, however, and resolved to drive to the Tesco Extra store on Laurel Drive in Bridge of Don to combat his thirst.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday heard that police spotted his car there, and found Cumming “slumped and asleep” inside.
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Fiscal, Gavin Letford, said: “Officers approached the car and woke the accused up, noticing that the keys were in the ignition.
“He stated that he had driven the car there, and admitted he had been drinking.
“He smelled strongly of alcohol.”
Cumming was found to have 81microgrames of alcohol per 100mcg of breath, nearly four times the legal limit of 22mcg, and pleaded guilty to being in charge of a motor vehicle while over the drink limit.
Defence agent, Gregor Kelly, said: “My client had been on a night out and intended to leave his car at the Denburn car park, but went back to it to sleep after being unable to afford a taxi.
“He woke midway through the night and had a thirst, and drove to the supermarket where he thereafter fell asleep again.”
Mr Kelly added that Cumming’s job was not in jeopardy as a result of the conviction, but said a driving ban would make it “difficult to perform certain duties”.
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill referenced Cumming’s lack of previous offences as she endorsed his driving licence with 10 penalty points and fined him £1,000.