A mum has admitted driving through a red light with her children in the car after taking a cocktail of drink and prescription drugs.
Wendy Watt, 40, struggled violently with the police when she was caught on the Beach Esplanade, Aberdeen, on June 28 after officers had been monitoring her erratic driving on CCTV.
Yesterday the mum-of-three appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted driving while unfit to through drink or drugs and careless driving. She also admitted a charge of resisting arrest.
The court heard officers became aware of her red Citroen Picasso on CCTV after staff watching the screens received information that there may be a drunk driver close to the retail park at the beach.
Fiscal Depute Sandy Hutchison told the court the car was spotted parked on a zebra crossing on the Beach Esplanade at 5.05pm.
Watt, a part-time-cleaner, then reversed, almost hitting a cyclist, before driving off through a red light.
Officers were sent to arrest her and noticed she smelled strongly of alcohol. She refused to go with them and struggled violently, lashing her arms around as her children, one aged two and two aged 10, looked on.
Defence agent David Sutherland said the “very unfortunate” incident had unfolded after his client consumed two large glasses of wine that evening alongside painkillers she was taking for a “medical problem”.
Mr Sutherland said the combination had a strong effect on her which resulted in her driving the way she did.
He said: “It is a very unfortunate situation. My understanding is she was on painkillers at this time for a medical problem. She had two large glasses of wine – the combination of medication and alcohol resulted in her being unfit to drive.”
Mr Sutherland said that Watt became aware of the police and “panicked” as she had her children in the car. He said she did not want them to witness her being arrested so tried to resist.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan disqualified Watt, of 24 West Road, Fraserburgh, from driving and deferred sentence on her for background reports to be carried out into her character.