An RAF serviceman faces being excluded from an overseas exercise after he was caught driving at more than four times the limit.
Peter Wanless, who lives on the Lossiemouth base, was due to travel to the Falkland Islands next year.
He now faces being barred from the deployment after vigilant guards spotted him “stumbling and fumbling” when getting out of his car near the gates to the Moray base.
When Wanless started speaking to the military personnel they noticed his speech was slurred and called the police.
Yesterday, the 27-year-old appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court to plead guilty to a charge of drink driving.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty explained his client would now have to be found a new role within the air force due to his current position requiring him to drive to radio masts.
He said: “He was meeting friends at the Beach Bar in Lossiemouth that night and didn’t arrive until 11pm.
“He took his car there but didn’t intend to drive back – he had actually already arranged for a lift from a work colleague to retrieve the car the following day.
“He has consumed a lot of alcohol in a short period of time, left with the keys, and has driven back to the base. He’s mortified.”
Wanless was fined £700 and banned from driving for 24 months after pleading guilty to driving with 95mcg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is just 22mcg.