A hospital worker has been banned from the road after she was caught drink-driving in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary’s staff car park.
Domestic assistant Marzena Gajdamowicz appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted getting behind the wheel while more than three times the legal limit on July 15 this year.
The court heard the 43-year-old had just arrived at the north-east’s flagship hospital to start her early morning shift.
Around 6.50am, witnesses noticed her driving “erratically” in the car park and called the police.
When officers arrived they found she had 85microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Representing the first offender, solicitor Graeme Morrison said his client had found out the night before that her mother had suffered a heart attack and was seriously ill.
He said the Polish national, who does not normally drink, was advised by relatives to have a drink to calm her nerves after hearing the bad news.
He said the next morning Gajdamowicz was told that her mum was going to be ok and she decided to make her way to work as planned.
Mr Morrison said she did not think she would be over the limit given the fact she had slept and the length of time which had passed.
The court heard she was thoroughly ashamed by what had happened.
Gajdamowicz, of 63 Manor Avenue, Aberdeen, was banned from driving for 14 months and fined £400.