Son tells court he spiked dad’s drink

Drunk-driver tries to argue special circumstances to avoid motoring ban

By Leanna MacLarty

Published:

Jonathan Bruce: not proud

CONVICTED: David Bruce claimed his drinks were spiked

The estranged son of a man charged with drink-driving told a court he spiked his soft drinks and later told police that his father was drunk behind the wheel.

David Bruce, of Ivydyke, Hill Street, Tillicoultry, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol but tried to argue special circumstances to avoid a ban.

Bruce’s Audi was pulled over by police on the A90 Aberdeen-Dundee road near Temple of Fiddes at around 10pm on June 24, 2006.

Appearing at Stonehaven Sheriff Court yesterday, he said officers told him they had received an anonymous tip-off that a “drunk driver” was in charge of the car.

He was arrested after a breath test found him to be over the limit. A subsequent blood test showed 94 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrammes.

The 60-year-old had been visiting his son and daughter-in-law for the weekend and the trio had visited an Aberdeen city-centre pub for a meal earlier that evening.

An argument ensued when the conversation turned to the future of Bruce’s former home, where his ex-wife still resides. After two pints of beer Bruce switched to coke so he could drive home, but said he later learned that his son had poured mixtures of vodka and midori (melon) liqueur into his soft drinks. Taking the stand at a special reason hearing, Jonathan Bruce, 26, admitted spiking the drinks, saying he wanted to calm down his father who was “argumentative”.

When his father indicated his intention to drive home, Jonathan Bruce did not tell him he had spiked his drink. Instead he called the police.

“It was a mixture of getting him into trouble and getting him off the road,” he said. “It was not my proudest moment. We haven’t spoken since that night.”

GP and police surgeon Peter Duffus told the court the reading displayed a much higher amount of alcohol than either men testified had been drunk.

Fiscal depute Cecilia Dyckhoff told Sheriff Patrick Davies: “I am sure your lordship will be concerned not to be sending out a message that a method of getting out of a drink-driving charge is to find an accomplice to indicate they spiked your drink.”

The sheriff told the driver: “I am not satisfied that you have been telling me the truth in all material respects.”

Bruce was disqualified from driving for a year and fined £500. The sheriff refused him the opportunity to attend a drink-drivers rehabilitation course.