City mum was nearly five times over the legal drink-drive limit

Court: Woman who passed test only in April is fined and banned

An Aberdeen mum has been banned from the road after being caught driving at nearly five times the alcohol limit - only months after passing her test.

Teresa Ross was arrested on Thursday September 19, after alarmed onlookers observed her driving through the city “erratically” and persuaded her to stop her vehicle.

The 41-year-old’s solicitor told Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday that she had been drinking earlier that evening as she was on holiday from work.

The sales administrator, of Oldtown Place in Northfield, had not anticipated needing to leave her home but decided to visit a shop.

Fiscal depute, Anne MacDonald, said Ross’s driving caused concern among those who saw her trying to turn her grey Vauxhall Astra in Auchmill Road, Bucksburn.

She said: “It was 11.45pm when a couple of civilians saw the accused driving erratically and trying to do a U-turn.

“They saw this and stopped her from driving any further.

“Police were contacted and the accused was cooperative.”

Ross, who has a 13-yearold son, only passed her driving test in April.

She later admitted driving with 109 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.

Defence agent, Michael Horsman, said: “She was at home relaxing that evening when she realised she needed something from the shop.

“The distance she had gone was no more than a mile, not that this was an excuse to get in a car and drive.”

Sheriff Graeme Buchanan said: “This is a high reading. I am required to impose a penalty that reflects that.”

Sheriff Buchanan fined her £800, which was reduced from £1,200 on account of an early guilty plea.

The sheriff also disqualified her from driving for 16 months.

“The accused was driving erratically, trying to do a U-turn”