Beware morning after drinking, sheriff warns drivers
Sheriff Patrick Hughes has once again warned drivers to make sure they are not over the limit if they have been drinking the night before.
He was speaking at Campbeltown Sheriff Court last week when he disqualified a businessman from driving for 12 months and fined him £395.
Ewan Charles McHardy, aged 53, of 82 Sound of Kintyre, admitted the offence which happened on April 16 last year, when police carrying out vehicle checks on the A83 near Muasdale stopped his van.
After failing the initial roadside test, McHardy was found to have a blood alcohol reading of 90 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood; the limit in Scotland is only 50 but is 80 in England and Wales.
Stephen MacSporran, defence agent, told the court: ‘My client had been drinking the night before and thought that by late morning he was safe to drive.’
Mr MacSporran added that the strain of providing a vital service to Kintyre during the pandemic lockdown had caused McHardy a great deal of stress and he produced personal and business letters of support for his client.
McHardy runs a delivery and courier service and the business will continue to run with an employed driver.
‘His business has been essential to Kintyre during lockdown,’ said Mr
MacSporran, ‘as people relied more on online shopping.’
Sheriff Hughes said: ‘This is a very unfortunate case to come before the court. It is testament to how long alcohol stays in the system. People do not realise they can be over the limit well into the afternoon.’
The offence could have had a driving disqualification of 16 months but Sheriff Hughes imposed a 12-month ban.
If McHardy completes a driver rehabilitation course at his own expense, the ban will be reduced by three months. There was also a fine of £375 with a £20 victim surcharge.