Double drink-drive nurse spared prison

AFife nurse who drove while nearly six times the alcohol limit as she took a child to a football game has avoided jail.

Debbie Greig, a specialist nurse, turned up at the seven-a-side children’s friendly match in Rosyth smelling of alcohol.

She was later driven home by an off-duty police officer who was a coach of the opposing team.

The 40-year-old had claimed during a trial she went shopping before attending the football match and bought a bottle of vodka, which she drank in a toilet at the clubhouse after arriving at the game.

Sheriff David Hall did not believe Greig and found her guilty of driving a car while under the influence of alcohol.

It was later revealed she had been under the influence during the trial. She appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

A trial last month heard Greig arrived late for a children’s football match at Rosyth’s Fleet Grounds and was accused by parents of being disrespectful when she began “whooping” when the child she arrived with scored a goal, despite their team being well ahead. Police were called by concerned parents, who said they could also smell alcohol on her breath as she walked past them on the sidelines.

One parent supporting the same team told the trial she tried speaking to Greig because she was “making a scene”.

She said Greig started commenting on her weight and became argumentative.

Greig was also said to have driven her Nissan

Juke into a small rock or log as she parked at the ground on the evening of February 26 2020.

After the game, Greig was driven home by offduty police officer Keith Dickson, a coach with the opposing team.

He had concerns about her level of intoxication and the chance she would drive with the boy again.

Two police officers met Greig and Mr Dickson about 10 minutes later, when they arrived outside her home. She later returned a breath alcohol reading at the police station of 127mics – nearly six times the legal limit of 22mics.

During her sentencing hearing, Greig admitted a separate drink-driving offence which happened seven months later – that of driving while more than five times the limit on the M8, M9 and M90

Queensferry Crossing. This incident took place during the afternoon of October 9 2020.

Defence lawyer Elaine Buist said there has been a “complete sea change” since her client’s trial in mid-april, particularly as she had spoken to a GP about her liver function.

Ms Buist said her client had been in denial until this point and has now engaged with a local alcohol support service and has cut down her drinking and “feels like a new person”.

The solicitor also said her client accepts that during the course of her trial she was “somewhat under the influence of alcohol”. She said Greig is “extremely ashamed” of the whole episode, having had alcohol in her system from the night before.

Sheriff Hall had remanded Greig in custody overnight from Thursday to Friday to consider her lawyer’s plea in mitigation before delivering his sentence. The sheriff banned Greig from driving for a total of six years and ordered her to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work within two years.

She was also placed on a restriction of liberty order to stay at home between 9pm and 7am daily for the next seven months.

The sheriff added: “If you carry this out successfully that is the end of the matter, but if you breach it, it (the order) can be revoked.”

Sheriff Hall stressed these sentences were imposed as direct alternatives to custody.

Greig was also fined £200 for failing to appear at a court date in November 2020.

UNPAID WORK: Debbie Greig was nearly six times the limit as she drove a child to a football match, where she “whooped” on the sidelines.