A farmer has been banned from driving after crashing his car the morning after a night out.
Alistair Naismith was involved in a collision on the A937 near Laurencekirk, but when police arrived they could smell drink on him.
The 22-year-old, who was also unsteady on his feet, then failed a roadside breathalyser but was unable to complete the formal procedure at the station for “medical reasons”.
Fiscal depute Tom Procter told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At 8.35am on April 2, police were called to a road traffic collision at the locus.
“They attended and spoke to all parties and noted there was a smell of alcohol coming from the accused.
“He was required to provide a specimen of breath which proved to be positive.”
He was also noted to be unsteady on his feet.
Naismith was arrested and taken back to the police station for the formal procedure to be carried out.
‘Hopefully a lesson will be learned here’
However, that procedure was not able to take place due to “medical reasons”.
Naismith, of Grangehall Farm, Marykirk, pled guilty to driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
Defence agent Joseph Mooney said: “This was a Saturday morning. He’d gone out on the Friday night.
“Police were called and it’s fair to say he failed the roadside breathalyser.”
Mr Mooney said his client worked on his family’s farm and that the driving ban would impact on that.
He said: “He will be of less use to his mother than he otherwise would have been, if I could put it like that.
“He can still work in the fields.
“Hopefully a lesson will be learned here.”
Sheriff Morag Fraser fined Naismith £210 and banned him from driving for a year.
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