Drink-driver crashed on alcohol run

Aformer engineer crashed his Audi in Angus while nearly six times over the limit after driving to another town to buy four bottles of wine at lunchtime on Halloween.

David Norman travelled from Brechin to Montrose to buy his stash of booze as he did not want to be seen picking up the haul in a local shop.

However, he was spotted on a garage CCTV drinking from the bottle in his Audi Q3 before ploughing into a van on his way home in the middle of the day.

Norman, 60, of Brechin’s High Street, admitted driving dangerously and with excess alcohol (123mics/22) at Forfar Sheriff Court.

He was banned for 27 months and must resit the extended test before getting behind the wheel again.

Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said the accident happened on the A935 at 12.40pm on October 31 last year.

“When the accused was spoken to by witnesses at the locus, he made the remark: ‘There’s no need for witnesses, I’m guilty’.

“There was a strong smell of alcohol.”

Norman was traced by police just before 2pm and taken to West Bell Street HQ in Dundee.

Almost three hours after the crash, he returned a breathalyser reading five and a half times the legal limit.

He admitted to police he’d been drinking and was “extremely” apologetic.

First offender Norman admitted drink-driving and driving dangerously.

His solicitor Nick Markowski explained he had reported feeling “extremely low” at the time and had been “selfmedicating” with alcohol.

He added Norman had been “embarrassed” to go to a shop in Brechin due to the quantity of alcohol he was buying, so travelled to Montrose for the wine.

Mr Markowski also said his client had undergone a detox.

As well as the disqualification, Sheriff Derek Reekie told Norman to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

He said: “The level of drinking at the time is extraordinary and dangerous.”

BANNED: David Norman was nearly six times over the limit for alcohol while driving.