A drink-driver was caught more than five times the legal booze limit – while visiting his mother-in-law on New Year’s Day.
Leigh Hull’s car was spotted crawling along the A836 near Bettyhill, arousing the suspicion of police officers.
He was stopped and taken to Wick police station where he was breathalysed and shown to be more than five times the legal drink-drive limit.
Hull, 33, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of drink-driving.
Fiscal depute Hilary Michopoulou told the court the incident happened at around 5.30pm on Saturday, January 1.
Cops clocked drink-driver’s ‘very low speed’
She said: “The police noticed the accused driving at a very low speed. His manner of driving caused them to speak to him in his car.”
The court heard father-of-two Hull was then taken to Wick police station where tests showed the level of alcohol in his breath to be 117 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath- the legal limit being 22 microgrammes.
Solicitor Rory Gowans, for Hull, told the court that his client, an HGV technician whose license is essential for his job, had been visiting his mother-in-law in Bettyhill at the time of the offence.
Mr Gowans said Hull, of Red Houses, High Etherly, did not usually drink and could not explain what he was doing on the day in question.
‘As a rule he doesn’t drink’
He said: “The best I can say about this is that he cooperated fully. He has no explanation as to how or why he ended up behind the wheel.
“As a rule, he doesn’t drink. It may be that when he does he cannot judge what he has had.”
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Hull: “Disqualification in excess of the 12-month minimum is inevitable here.”
He called for reports and deferred sentencing to later this year, disqualifying Hull from driving in the interim.
He said: “Given your previous conviction and particularly because of the high breath alcohol reading, this is a very serious matter. ”
