Twice caught over the limit
Wife was slapped on the face
a top surveyor who drove while seven times over the limit and assaulted his wife must do unpaid work.
Peter Muir was caught drink driving twice and slapped his spouse Lorna, Ayr Sheriff Court heard last week.
The 48- year- old first got behind the wheel drunk at 8.20am on June 12 when he went to fetch his dad’s car.
Police officers traced him to his dad’s house after he drove sozzled through Ayr streets.
A breathalyser test reading showed he had 170 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal allowance is only 22 microgrammes.
Two months later on August 6, he assaulted spouse Lorna.
Depute fiscal Andrew Lazarin said: “An argument started between the accused and Lorna Muir. The argument turned violent. The accused slapped Lorna Muir across the cheek causing her to stumble back.” Describing the effect of the couple’s row on their children, Lazarin said it left them in shock. The argument continued at the property in Bentfield Avenue with Muir demanding Lorna’s phone and having her car keys. Mr Lazarin said: “He asked for her phone and pulled her glasses off her face and threw them into the living room.”
She reported him to the police after being left with a cut to the side of her right eye.
Officers caught Muir drink driving again on Doonfoot Road on September 6, the court heard.
The police officers stopped him to check bail conditions but noticed he smelt of alcohol. A breathalyser test recorded he was four and a half times over the legal limit at 133 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
Muir was back at his wife’s address at Bowman Road to cut the lawn on September 27. His wife also spotted him leaving the street again two days later.
Police arrested him later in the day and took him to the Ayr station.
Muir admitted the two drink driving charges, assaulting his wife and breaching bail as he stood in the dock last week.
Lawyer Peter Lockhart, said: “It is a tragic case for his wife, his family and himself. He has had an excellent upbringing and the best of education.”
Mr Lockhart described how his client has reached the highest professional level of quantity surveyor.
Explaining how Muir ended up in court, he said his client had a serious alcohol problem, lost his job and marriage.
He said Muir had been to a detox clinic.
Mr Lockhart said: “He is clearly an intelligent man but not intelligent were offending is concerned but that is because of alcohol.”
The court heard how the couple were trying to work out their marriage.
Before sentencing Sheriff John Montgomery said: “There is an awful lot for me to consider here.”
The Sheriff said Muir who is living in Ayr ’ s Horizon Hotel narrowly missed going to prison because of his previously unblemished character. He was disqualified from driving for two years, ordered to do 220 hours of unpaid work. He must also undergo 18 months of supervision and attend alcohol counselling.