Stepdad took out learner driver after he got boozed-up
Court rap for man who instructed stepdaughter
A sozzled dad was caught attempting to give his stepdaughter a driving lesson while more than five times the legal limit.
Kevin McHenery, 51, who doesn’t even hold a driving licence, was in the car attempting to teach the youngster when they were pulled over by cops.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard McHenery, whose licence was withdrawn by DVLA bosses on health grounds, was not driving the Vauxhall Corsa when they were stopped and but he was found to be heavily intoxicated while in charge of the vehicle.
Procurator fiscal depute Tanjeer Maleque told the court he was stopped by police around 9am on Saturday August 29, at Bridge of Weir Road, in Johnstone.
He said: “Police witnesses were on uniform mobile patrol when they observed a silver a Vauxhall Corsa and noticed that the vehicle had numerous lights, all of which were not illuminating.
“They stopped the car and the accused stepped out of the vehicle.
“He advised that he was supervising his stepdaughter in driving.
“The accused was unsteady on his feet. He had slurred speech when he tried to speak.
“Officers suspected that he was under the influence of alcohol and provided him with a roadside breath test which, recorded a reading of 111 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.”
McHenery was arrested and taken to Greenock Police Station, where he recorded an even higher reading.
McHenery of Binnie Street, Gourock, pleaded guilty to being in charge of the motor car while the proportion of alcohol on his breath was 115 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, and the legal limit is 22 micrograms.
Defence agent Graham Wright said his client has battled a drink problem for a number of years, and had his driving licence taken off him on medical grounds back in 2017.
He said: “It was his partner’s daughter, his stepdaughter, that wished to get experience of driving, and get on with her life.
“He engaged with her request to take her out that day.
“The stepdaughter in question passed her driving test only ten days later.”
The lawyer added McHenery who is on benefits “regrets what he did.”
He said: “If it wasn’t for the presence of drink, he would not have done it.”
Sheriff Seith Ireland slated McHenery for the offence, telling him: “You were supervising, rather than driving.
“Although this is still a serious offence given that you were giving advice to a young driver.”
He banned him from obtaining or holding a licence for 16 months and handed him a £400 fine.