Alcoholic tells court minimum pricing has turned his life around

Policy ‘already has impact’ on troubled Tayside man

Scotland’s new minimum unit pricing policy claimed its first success as a violent alcoholic told a court it had made him change his lifestyle.

Darren Oakes told social workers he had already amended what and when he drank because of the introduction of a minimum 50 pence per unit charge.

Oakes, whose alcoholism has played a major part in his long criminal record, said the policy had affected him despite only coming into force last week.

Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, told Perth Sheriff Court: “It does seem the Scottish Government’s policy on minimum pricing has already had an effect on him.

“If you look at the social work report, he was drinking a box of wine a day and then it went to every three days.

“Now he says that is down to four cans of beer and he has to think about when he buys it.”

Oakes, 44, St Catherine’s Road, Perth, admitted causing a nuisance to all the emergency services on September 27 by making hoax telephone calls.

He admitted annoying the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland by claiming there was an unconscious man in his home and that a neighbouring property was on fire.

Mr Somerville told the court Oakes had split from his partner, a fellow alcoholic, and as a result was able to “make more sensible choices about his behaviour on his own”.

Sheriff Gillian Wade noted the social work comments about minimum pricing but added Oakes still had a long way to go to tackle his drink problem.

“The positive is that you don’t appear to have been offending in the interim,” she told him.

“Unfortunately, your alcohol consumption doesn’t seem to have improved entirely.

“Your health will suffer if you don’t do something to address that, but you know that yourself. I would strongly urge you to take up the opportunities being afforded to you.

“If you make that step it will bring positive change to your life and your health. You must remain offence free.”

Oakes was placed on supervision and his case will be reviewed in August.

He has a long list of previous convictions for offences including burglary, theft, indecent assault, actual bodily harm and drunken and careless driving.

If you make that step it will bring positive change to your life and your health. You must remain offence free