St Andrews drink-driver banned from getting behind wheel

A St Andrews woman caught driving while five times the legal limit has been banned from driving after failing to prove she suffered from a medical condition that raised the level of alcohol in her blood.

Evelyn Gordon had consumed a significant quantity of wine before driving to St Andrews Community Hospital to visit her ailing mother.

Staff noticed she was under the influence during the visit and raised concerns when they saw her leave by car.

Gordon, 61, of Pipeland Walk, admitted driving with excess alcohol (111 mics) on Largo Road on May 1. She was stopped just 200 yards from the entrance and gave a positive breath test.

Solicitor Doug McConnell told Dundee Sheriff Court: “Ms Gordon could not believe it was that high, though she accepts that she had consumed wine.

“She commissioned an expert report and asked a doctor to do some calculations.

“She has to accept, however, that the reading taken by the police officers was correct, even though the doctor came back to say what she had drunk does not correlate to that reading.”

Noting his client had been banned from the road for 18 months on a drink-drive charge in 2010, Mr McConnell added that Gordon is the sole carer of her mother who had been taken into hospital for a hip operation.

“She felt down and felt as if she had no support from her family and she had taken alcohol,” he said.

“Ms Gordon lives in St Andrews and so was only driving a short distance, though that is no excuse.”

Sentence was deferred until August 24 to investigate her “background of drinking”.

She was banned from driving in the interim.