‘Benefit of the doubt’ given to young man in court on drink driving charge

THE ‘BENEFIT of the doubt’ was given to a young Fort William businessman when he was found not guilty of drink driving.

Cameron MacInnes, of Castle Drive, Lochyside, lodged a special defence of an alibi at his trial last Wednesday (September 16).

He was accused of driving his friend’s car with 91 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath on the evening of Saturday, June 21 last year, but the 21-year- old denied being in the car.

Sheriff Richard Davidson heard from two police witnesses who said they saw Mr MacInnes in his home earlier the same evening, where the red Seat Ibiza he was accused of driving was parked, when they were following up a separate enquiry.

Later, during a routine patrol, both said they saw the accused driving the car, and seconds later saw the abandoned car on North Road and two men running in the opposite direction across the British Aluminium club field. He was then detained and given a breath alcohol test which showed he had been drinking.

When Mr MacInnes took to the stand, he said he hadn’t been driving the car or running and had walked from his home to the BA club to meet his friend where he was met by police.

Sheriff Davidson found the self- employed business owner not guilty as he said one of the police giving evidence had been ‘evasive’.

He said: ‘If both witnesses had been strong, you would have been found guilty, but for reasons I don’t understand one of the officers was evasive. You get the benefit of the doubt and I find you not guilty.’