An Aberdeen man has been banned from the road for two years after driving while nearly four times the legal alcohol limit.
John Thomson, of Ferrier Gardens, appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday to admit driving with 84 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit is 22mcg.
His solicitor, Liam McAllister, said his client had made a “catastrophic mistake” and, as a result of the incident, lost his job.
He added: “To say he is disgusted and ashamed of himself is an understatement.
“He has two children and he has let them down as much as himself.
“He had been at a party and was enjoying himself and drinking to excess.
“On the night, he went out to his car to phone a taxi but can only speculate as to what happened next.
“He made the most catastrophic decision of his life and drove the vehicle home.
“He has plead guilty at the earliest opportunity, knowing he has made a catastrophic mistake.”
Fiscal depute Christy Ward said a witness heard “a loud bang” outside his home in the early hours of the morning and reported it to police.
She said the witness saw a Ford Focus outside with damage to its bumper and another vehicle nearby, with the engine still running.
When police arrived at Ferrier Gardens at 2am, officers noticed damage to a parked car and shortly after found Thomson.
Ms Ward said they reported he was “slurring his words and smelling strongly of alcohol”.
Thomson’s not guilty plea to driving and colliding his car into another on September 8 at Ferrier Gardens was accepted by the court.
Sheriff Ian Anderson disqualified Thomson from driving for two years and fined him £400.