Drink driver fined £400 and banned

AN ARIVEGAIG man who was found to be more than three times over the drink drive limit has been banned from driving for a year and fined £400.

Alexander Thomson, 68, appeared at Fort William Sheriff Court last week and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a van on September 9 last year in Arivegaig Road while he had a blood alcohol level of 172mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.

Procurator Fiscal Robert Weir told the court police officers on mobile patrol had pulled Thomson over and found him to have slurred speech on being questioned.

Thompson was unable to provide two breath tests and so a blood test was carried out at Fort William Police Station and he was found to be over the legal limit.

Defence agent Stephen Kennedy said his client lived in a fairly remote area and the automatic disqualification from driving would have a serious impact on his life as he lived three miles from the nearest shop and bus stop.

‘Mr Thompson had been out with a friend in Acharacle and had left his van at home,’ Mr Kennedy told Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald.

‘He had been expecting to get a lift home from a local hotel but the person involved could not drive him home as they had also drunk alcohol.

‘So he drove a car that was nearby and which he sometimes used for work purposes. My client has held a driving licence for more than 40 years and was an HGV driver also until his licence expired.’

Sheriff MacDonald banned Thomspon for a year but certified him as eligible for the drink drive rehabilitation scheme which if he successfully completes, would see Thompson obtain a discount of up to three months taken off the disqualification.