An Aberdeenshire beauty salon boss was caught drink-driving despite publicly pledging to give up booze for Sober October.
Gillian Macleod had managed to abstain from alcohol for almost the entire month but on October 30 she was found to be more than five times the limit.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told police stopped the 36-year-old’s red Audi TT near Potterton after the manner of her driving came to their attention.
Macleod – who is now banned from the roads for over two years – had given up alcohol in order to raise money for charity and even posted about her participation in Sober October on social media exactly a month before she was stopped by police.
“Me and a few friends are pledging sober October starting tomorrow,” she wrote on Facebook. “Too many bad/sad things happening right now.”
Red Audi TT stopped by police
The court was told that Macleod had left her house to drive to her place of work on the morning of October 30 last year but was stopped on the B999 Tarves to Cloverhill Road at Potterton.
Macleod, who was found to be the driver of the vehicle, was stopped due to the manner of her driving.
Soon after they’d stopped Macleod, police officers believed they had reasonable cause to make her subject to a roadside breath test, which produced a positive result.
Upon being cautioned and arrested, Macleod was again breathalysed at Kitybrewster Police Station.
She gave a reading of 128 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – almost six times the legal limit of 22mcg.
In the dock, Macleod pleaded guilty to one charge of drink-driving.
Accused has sought help
Defence solicitor Gregor Kelly told the court that his client had “not driven a long distance” when she was stopped by the police.
He added that Macleod had been going through some “difficult personal circumstances” at the time.
“This led to a bit of a binge drinking session,” Mr Kelly said, adding that his client had “now sought the appropriate help” for her alcohol issues.
Sheriff Mark Thorley disqualified Macleod, of Shaw Crescent, Aberdeen, from driving for 25 months and fined her a total of £790.
Macleod managed to raise £249.90 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
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