Grief-stricken woman is banned from roads for driving while drunk
A woman who turned to booze following the death of her mum has racked up her second conviction for drink-driving.
Worried neighbours in Paisley’s Fisher Way spotted Joyce Welsh, 61, staggering in the street before getting behind the wheel of her black Fiat Panda and driving away.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Welsh was later found to be more than four times the legal limit when arrested by police on September 16.
Procurator fiscal depute Katerina Ward said: “At around 3.45pm, witnesses who are neighbours of Ms Welsh observed her leaving her home address.
“They noticed the accused was unsteady on her feet. She was stumbling. They further observed her enter her motor vehicle.
“Witnesses contacted police to raise their concerns.”
The prosecutor added that police traced Welsh around 6pm that same day and she was arrested for drink-driving.
Ms Ward said: “When Ms Welsh was arrested, she replied ‘I am most embarrassed. I am sorry’.”
Yesterday, Ms Welsh, from Fisher Way, Ferguslie, pleaded guilty to driving while the proportion of alcohol was 94 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, and the legal limit is 22 mcg.
Defence agent Bob Kerr told the court his grieving client was mourning the loss of her mother, who died in a care home in March, and had turned to alcohol as a means of coping.
He said: “Her mother passed in a care home and she had been drinking for weeks on end.
“Her previous conviction for drink-driving involved similar terms, where she turned to drinking.
“And from March this year, it has been dreadful for her.
“Even her own son, who has seen what has happened, has left her home.
“I worry that she has been drinking and smoking herself to death.”
Mr Kerr urged the court to consider placing her on an order to help her tackle her drinking problem, but he added that she acknowledged she would be losing her licence.
Sheriff David Pender agreed with the defence solicitor and handed her an immediate disqualification from driving.
He also called for background reports to see if her alcoholism can be addressed by experts working for the local authority.
He told her: “I am going to continue this case to get a report from the social work department to see if there is some kind of order that will help curb your drinking.”
She will discover her fate when she appears back at court on November 4.