A serial Moray drink driver avoided jail yesterday – despite admitting to being almost six times over the limit when he got behind the wheel.
Police stopped Robert Glass, of 85 Calcots Crescent, Elgin, on East Road in his hometown on May 14 after receiving an anonymous tip-off.
He was found to have 124 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the limit is 22-micrograms.
Fiscal Alison Wylie told Elgin Sheriff Court it was Glass’ third conviction for drink driving.
She said: “At 9.34am police officers saw the vehicle and stopped it as a result of an anonymous call they received stating the accused had been seen staggering and smelling of alcohol before getting in a car and driving away.”
The Crown also asked Sheriff David Hall to order the seizure of the unemployed 49-year-old’s Citroen C3, which has an estimated value of about £1,500.
Defence agent Stephen Carty said: “Clearly, given the previous convictions and the level of alcohol, it is a serious case.
“I would argue that — although this is the third offence — there is a considerable gap between offending.”
Mr Carty added that his client did not feel he had a problem with drink but had turned to alcohol in order to help him deal with the recent death of his father.
Sheriff Hall disqualified Glass from driving for a decade and ordered him to complete 240 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.
He told him: “This is your third conviction for driving with excess alcohol. You were first convicted for this type of offence in 1988 and again in 2005.
“It is terribly concerning that you appear in court again with a similar offence.
“I am prepared — because it is some 10 years since you have been in trouble — to offer you an alternative to a custodial sentence in the way of a community payback order.”
Glass was also ordered to forfeit his car and will be under supervision for two years.