Drink driver was COVID positive and didn’t stay home
A Perth man, employed at a poultry processing plant in Coupar Angus, caused“serious risk”to police – and others – by culpably and recklessly leaving his home just three days after testing positive for the virus.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that 47-yearold Ilie Neogoe showed “total disregard” for the consequences.
The alarming incident came to light when he was caught driving in Perth city centre with almost four times the legal alcohol limit in his system.
Neogoe works at the 2 Sisters plant, which suffered its third COVID-19 outbreak in March this year.
The accused, of South Methven Street, had an interim driving ban imposed by Sheriff Neil Bowie.
He will be sentenced on June 30 after a community justice social work report and a Restriction of Liberty Order assessment have been prepared.
Neogoe admitted, through a Romanian interpreter, that he drove a car on Marshall Place and Pomarium Street on April 4 this year with 78 microgrammes of alcohol on his breath.
The legal limit is 22 microgrammes. He also pled guilty to a second charge of breaching the coronavirus regulations.
He culpably and recklessly left his home address on April 4, while he should have been in isolation within his property, having tested positive for COVID-19 on April 1.
The charge states that he “showed total disregard for the consequences,” causing serious risk of harm to the health and wellbeing of the police officers that had to deal with him.
The charge also indicated that he also he posed a risk to anyone who may come into contact with him.
A not guilty plea was accepted to a third charge of having no insurance for the vehicle.
Neogoe was represented in court by local lawyer Cheryl McKnight.