A pensioner has been banned from driving after he was caught drunk behind the wheel – with a shotgun in the car.
George Raithel was more than three times the drink-drive limit when he was pulled over by police on Cairncry Road in Aberdeen on November 18 last year.
The 66-year-old had been returning from a shooting event, where he had been drinking all day, when he was stopped.
And he told police he still had the gun in the car because he was planning on going shooting again the next day.
Yesterday, Raithel admitted the drink-driving charge and a second one of being drunk in charge of a firearm when he appeared at the city’s sheriff court.
Fiscal depute Katy Begg told the court officers had stopped Raithel, and noticed he was “smelling of alcohol” and “unsteady on his feet” when he got out the car.
A roadside breath test found Raithel had 113 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit at the time was 35mcg.
The court heard that officers then carried out a search of Raithel’s car and found a shotgun.
As a result of the discovery, the armed response unit was called to the scene.
Defence agent Christopher Maitland said his client had been driving for about 50 years and had no previous convictions.
Raithel, he added, had also held a firearms licence for 40 years.
Mr Maitland said Raithel had “very little recollection” of the incident.
He told the court his client had been returning from a shooting event, where he had been drinking all day.
He added Raithel, of 35 Tedder Street, Aberdeen, acknowledged he was not fit to be driving and was “sorry” for his actions.
The court heard Raithel still had his shotgun with him as he was intending to go out shooting again the next day.
Mr Maitland told the court the weapon had been safely secured in its case, and was “double-locked”.
Raithel, he added, was “shocked to find himself in this situation”.
Sheriff Edward Savage said: “I take into account your early plea, but I’m concerned at the extremely high reading, you were well above the limit – more than three times. But I also take into account the fact that you have no previous
convictions.”
Sheriff Savage disqualified Raithel from driving for a year and fined him £835.