Double limit when driving

A Perthshire woman, caught driving with more than double the legal alcohol limit on the A9 - branded Scotland’s most dangerous road - had a young child in the car with her.

Thirty-three-year-old Christina Reeves, of Balnadrum Terrace, Pitlochry, sobbed in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court this week as it emerged she had alcohol problems.

It was also her second conviction for driving with excess alcohol - and that led to her being disqualified for three years.

She will also be supervised for a year, with the focus on educating her to the dangers of consuming alcohol and then driving.

In addition, she will have to complete 225 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.

She admitted driving with 48 microgrammes of alcohol on her breath - the maximum allowed is 22 - on the Perth-Inverness road, at its junction with a slip road leading to the A924, on November 6 last year.

Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said the offence took place shortly after 6.30pm. A child was in the front passenger’s seat at the time.

There had been an accident after someone had crossed the road in front of the accused.

She was subsequently asked to give a roadside breath test which proved positive.

Solicitor Paul Ralph said there was “nothing about her driving” which had caused any concern.

The collision had been “inevitable” because of the pedestrian’s actions.

Sheriff Gillian Wade said the presence of the child in the car had been “an aggravating factor.”

Forty-four-year-old Steven Bryson was being driven to Perth after his girlfriend flagged down the police vehicle 20 miles north of Pitlochry.

She asked that he be “removed” from her vehicle, depute fiscal Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court this week.

They obliged and he was put in the back of the vehicle.

But as they headed south, he attempted to open the door, forcing the emergency stop.

Bryson was told by Sheriff Gillian Wade on Wednesday: “This was a serious offence.

“It was a matter of luck, to some extent, no-one was seriously injured and that is wholly unacceptable.”

Bryson was ordered to complete 65 hours of unpaid work within the next three months as a direct alternative to a jail term.

He admitted shouting and swearing at his partner during the course of a car journey on the A9 on April 4 - and then attempting to open the door of the moving police vehicle.

Ms Whyte said they had been in an “on-off” relationship since 2002 and had been on holiday in the Speyside area.

They were heading towards Pitlochry after a day out at Landmark in Carrbridge.

But they began arguing and he started shouting and swearing at her.

A solicitor for the accused, of Carronside Street, Falkirk, said he was “no stranger to the courts.”

“He accepts he had been drinking during the course of the day and an argument blew up out of all proportion.” area of the city’s Barrack Street police office.

And when Jason Murray was told by officers to calm down, he went up to the reception desk and began staring into the custody area.

The accused, now of High Street, then approached the door leading from the public counter and grabbed the handle, but it was locked, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

“He was again warned regarding his conduct but that seemed to agitate him further,” according to depute fiscal Tina Dickie.

“He began to repeatedly shout at police, again demanding to be taken to Murray Royal.”

His behaviour earned him a £300 fine after he admitted making repeated attempts to open doors at Perth police HQ on November 25 last year.

He also approached members of staff - and the public - in an aggressive manner and refused to stop.

The court was told that he had been sitting in the reception area at the police office all night.

He said he had “nowhere else to go” and was waiting for his doctor’s surgery to open.

He later began approaching various members of staff who were entering and leaving the police office and began acting in an intimidating manner.

“He also attempted to follow a member of staff into his vehicle, which was parked outside.

“He was warned several times about his behaviour and was eventually arrested,” stated the fiscal.

Solicitor David Holmes said the 46-year-old had previously been a voluntary patient at Murray Royal.

He had been behaving strangely and “knew there was something wrong with him.”