A retired Highland footballer has been banned from the road after he was caught drink-driving in rural Perthshire.
Alex Bone, a former striker for Ross County and Stirling Albion, admitted getting behind the wheel after enjoying “a fair scoop” the night before.
A concerned member of the public called police after seeing his Vauxhall Mokka being driven suspiciously badly near Crieff.
Bone, of Evanton, Dingwall, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted driving while more than three times the legal limit on the A822, near the Strowan Road junction, on June 12.
He was fined £800 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
‘Act of idiocy’
Sheriff William Wood blasted the offence as “an act of idiocy” and questioned Bone’s claims he did not realise he was over the limit.
Fiscal depute Matthew Kerr told the court: “At around 1.30pm, police received a report about the accused’s vehicle being driven erratically.
“There was some concern that the driver may have been under the influence.”
Mr Kerr said: “Police carried out a search and traced the car on the A822.
“The accused was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.
“Officers could immediately smell alcohol coming from him.”
Had put away ‘a fair scoop’
Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said at the time, Bone was working as a courier.
“Because he realised he would lose his licence, he left that employment and is now working as a labourer,” he said.
“That has resulted in a £10,000 drop in wages.”
Mr McLaughlin told the court: “Mr Bone advises me that he had been drinking the night before.
“He says that he had a fair scoop.”
He said: “The day before there was an international football game and Mr Bone had been watching it with friends.
“Drink was consumed late into the night and then into the early morning.”
Bone did not realise he would be over the limit when he got behind the wheel later that day, the court heard.
“He lives in a rural area and will now have to take buses to and from work but he accepts it is entirely his fault that he finds himself in this position,” his solicitor added.
Twenty-year career
Sheriff Wood told the father-of-two: “It is not the highest reading but it is quite high given the time of day – and that is a big concern.”
He said: “Clearly this was an act of idiocy.
“You must have been well away that you would have been affected.
“You ought to have known you weren’t fine to drive.”
Bone, nephew of Scotland legend Jimmy Bone, began his footballing career at St Mirren in 1992.
He moved to Stirling Albion three years later.
Bone, who recently coached for Elgin City, also played for Ross County and Peterhead.
He stepped down from playing after a two-year stint with Perth-based Kinnoull in 2012.
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