Caterer, 40, fined and banned for being six times limit after crash

A caterer who crashed her car with a bottle of whisky and a lager chaser in her car was found to be nearly six times the drink-drive limit.

Kathryn Cowie, 40, was seen mounting a verge and crashing into a hedge before trying to drive on and smashing into a garden gate.

When a witness rushed to the scene they found Cowie had a bottle of whisky alongside an open can of lager and she smelled strongly of alcohol.

At Perth Sheriff Court, Cowie, from Buckie, admitted driving near Blairgowrie on October 13 while her reading was 123 mics. The limit is 22 mics.

Fiscal depute Sean Maher told Perth Sheriff Court: “At 9 .1 5 p m a witness saw a vehicle against the boundary hedge of his property, h av i n g m o u n t e d the verge.

“He saw it re verse slightly and attempt to drive forward and at this point the vehicle collided with the gate across his driveway.

“He approached the driver and observed within the vehicle a bottle of whisky and an open can of lager. He removed the ignition key from the vehicle and contacted police.

“Police noted a strong smell of alcohol coming from her. She was still in the driver’s seat. She was arrested and taken into custody.”

Cowie’s solicitor told the court that she had been in Blairgowrie visiting a family friend around the time of her 40th birthday.

He admitted it was “a very high reading” and said she had been stressed because the Covid-19 pandemic had cut her work hours in half.

He said she had also been having relationship difficulties and “it had been too much to bear” and she had given in and drunk too much.

Sheriff James Macdonald said: “This is an extremely high reading.

“I must take into account that there was an element of bad driving involved in this offence.”

He banned her from driving for 16 months and fined her £1,000.

Cowie leaving court.