An honest drink-driver walked into a police station and reported himself after he’d taken his car out on a test drive in Huntly while over the limit.
John Stevenson appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted driving his white Hyundai i40 while more than twice the limit permitted to get behind the wheel.
When the car broke down, the 57-year-old walked to Huntly Police Station where he told officers he had been driving while under the influence.
His solicitor told the court that Stevenson had had a few drinks while cooking dinner and took the car out to ensure it was working.
Police could smell alcohol on John Stevenson’s breath
Fiscal depute Victoria Kerr said that at 4.53pm on September 17 this year Stevenson had presented himself at the police station and stated that his car had broken down on the side of the A97, George V Avenue, Huntly.
He also told them he had been driving the car under the influence.
Officers noted that he had slurred speech as he spoke and could smell the “aroma of alcohol” on his breath.
When breathalysed Stevenson gave a reading of 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Appearing in the dock, Stevenson pleaded guilty to one charge of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
‘Foolish decision’
Defence solicitor Carolyn Leckie told the court that her client knew that he had made a “foolish decision”.
“Mr Stevenson had been cooking dinner and he decided to have a drink,” she said.
“The first foolish decision was to try the car to see if it was working and then there was taking the car out to try out the battery.
“Once it broke down, he had concerns about where it had been left and he fully admitted to police about being under the influence.”
Sheriff David Sutherland banned Stevenson, of Stockiemuir Avenue, Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, from driving for 18 months and fined him a total of £300.
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