A woman whose Land Rover was seen weaving all over the road was later tested and found to be nearly six times the drink-drive limit.
Sarah Wilson, 55, was reported to police by a concerned motorist who watched her black 4×4 being driven erratically and striking grass verges on roads near Kemnay.
When the driver pulled up alongside Wilson’s vehicle and spoke to her they noticed she had a golden labrador in the car and appeared to be drunk.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that when police later arrived at her home they were informed that Wilson had been drinking wine in the car and had continued to drink when she returned home.
Her solicitor described the mother-of-four’s actions as an “outrageously foolish decision”.
Fiscal depute Victoria Kerr told the court that at around 3.30pm on July 11 this year motorists witnessed Wilson’s black Land Rover driving erratically on the road from Grantlodge to Monymusk, near Kemnay.
“As they drove behind the Land Rover they saw that the vehicle was travelling slowly, then accelerating harshly before slowing again,” Ms Kerr said.
“It appeared to be weaving across the road and hitting the grass verges.
“The car then came to a halt in the middle of the road and the witnesses pulled up alongside and spoke with the accused through open windows.
“They identified the accused as the sole occupant with a golden labrador within – they immediately formed the opinion that the accused was intoxicated.
“The witnesses followed the accused’s vehicle until she got to her home address and then contacted the police.”
When police attended at Wilson’s address a wine bottle was found, which her partner advised he had taken from the car after she had returned home.
Wilson was found by officers within the bedroom and described by them as “extremely intoxicated”, smelling strongly of alcohol, slurring her words and waving her arms in a “dramatic fashion”.
Mr Kerr told the court that Wilson identified herself as the driver and was “crying through her hands”.
When breathalysed Wilson gave a reading of 131 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mg.
She pleaded guilty to one charge of driving a motor vehicle while over the legal alcohol limit.
‘She is quite rightly horrified’
Defence agent Liam McAllister told the court that while his client was “clearly guilty” he claimed the high alcohol reading provided by Wilson was due to her continuing to drink after she returned home.
He said: “There is no dispute that she is guilty of this offence.
“The reading, however, is not reflective of what it would have been at the time she was driving.
“The circumstances are that Mrs Wilson had been drinking, there had been a disagreement with her partner and she drove whilst intoxicated.
“She returned to the property and was distressed at having made that foolish decision and her partner has confirmed that she then consumed the remainder of the alcohol.
“It was an outrageously foolish decision on her part and one that she is quite rightly horrified at.
“She is very, very ashamed of her conduct.”
He added that Wilson, who is originally from the South of England, had found the adjustment of moving to the north-east 18 months ago “difficult”.
Sheriff Andrew Miller described Wilson’s offence as “concerning” and her alcohol reading as “extremely high”.
He added: “I, of course, have regard to the way in which that reading ought to be interpreted by the court.
“I also take account of your own attitude towards this offence and that you have reflected on this incident and do intend to seek support.”
Sheriff Miller banned Wilson, of East Mosside Cottage, Kemnay, from driving for two years and fined her £640.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
