Shetland man drove to petrol station while five times over the limit

A man from Bixter who drove a van from his workshop to nearby petrol pumps while over five times the alcohol limit will learn his fate in March.

James Garson, of Annex, has been disqualified from driving in the interim after he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday.

The 27 year old admitted driving the van on the A971 in Bixter on 4 July with 262 milligrammes of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The limit is 50 milligrammes.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client needed petrol and used his van to drive the “short distance” to the Bixter pumps.

Sheriff Philip Mann said Garson’s alcohol count was “extremely high”, adding that it was his “public duty” to consider all sentencing options.

However, he deferred sentence until March 1 for social work reports to be prepared.