Driver was drinking wine at the wheel

A VAN driver caught almost six times the alcohol limit crashed into a lamp-post after swigging a bottle of wine.

Bruce Paton failed to negotiate a bend while driving his Ford Transit on Blackness Road near to Glenagnes Road on June 16.

Witnesses saw Paton stagger out of the van while continuing to drink the wine that had been in the driver’s footwell.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Paton, a first offender, was involved in a collision at around 5.30pm on the day in question.

Depute fiscal Joanne Smith said: “He failed to negotiate a bend and collided with another car.

“The vehicle came to rest against a lamp-post. Another driver observed the collision and approached the driver and saw he was the sole occupant.

“The eyewitness saw a bottle of wine in the driver’s footwell.

“The accused got out of the vehicle and appeared to be unsteady on his feet.

“He was also seen to drink from the bottle of wine.” Police attended and Paton, of Hoylake Crescent, was pointed out as the driver of the van.

He was arrested after giving a reading of 125 mics of alcohol in 100 mls of breath, exceeding the limit of 22 mics.

The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before Sheriff James MacDonald.

Defence solicitor Ian Myles opted to reserve his mitigation until the preparation of social work reports.

Sheriff MacDonald said: “Although this is your first conviction for drink-driving, it’s a high reading and the matter is aggravated by the fact there appears to have been a road traffic collision as part of the incident.”

Sentence was deferred for reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment until August 14 and Paton was disqualified from driving in the interim.

Bruce Paton