Drink driver’s reading one of highest sheriff encountered

A Dunfermline woman caught driving when more than seven times over the alcohol limit was told by a sheriff it was one of the highest readings he had encountered.

Wendy Sturch was unable to recall being behind the wheel, and gave a false version of events to a social worker writing a report for the court.

Sturch, 40, of Grange Wynd, admitted driving a car in the town’s Queensferry Road on September 18 having consumed excess alcohol.

Her reading was 159 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Sturch was seen by police driving in an erratic manner at 4.20pm on the day in question.

Solicitor James Moncrieff said his client has long-standing difficulties with alcohol and had sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous but had relapsed.

The solicitor said: “It has been a big wake-up call. “It is a very serious offence.” Sheriff Craig McSherry said: “What is of great concern to the court is that this reading is one of the highest I’ve ever encountered.

“It is also of concern that you can’t even remember driving the vehicle, which shows the state you were in.”

The sheriff imposed a sixmonth restriction of liberty order and disqualified her from driving for two years.