A farm worker who drove while at least five times the legal drink drive limit overturned his car on a five mile journey to a friend’s house, a court heard.
Peteris Kukis, 47, of Petley Farm, Portmahomack, tried to flag down other motorists to help him right his vehicle before police arrived, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
The collision happened on the B9165 Fearn to Portmahomack road about 9.45pm on December 29 this year.
Although Kukis was uninjured, fiscal depute Ross Carvel told Inverness Sheriff Court that the alcohol reading would have been higher if Kukis had not been taken to hospital for a check-up.
Mr Carvel said Kukis appeared uninjured and refused medical treatment. But he added that officers decided to get him medically assessed before breathalysing him four hours after the crash and remanding him until his court appearance.
Defence solicitor Patrick O’Dea said: “He was not sure how much he had to drink before deciding to go to visit a friend’s five miles away from where he lives on the farm.
“It was an error of judgement on his part.”
Kukis admitted driving with excess alcohol, was fined £600 and banned from driving for 14 months.
Farm worker five times the legal drink drive limit banned following crash
