A drink-driver who was spotted walking unsteadily through a car park before getting behind the wheel had been banned from the roads.
Calumn Wilson was more than four times the drink-drive limit when he got in his Fiat Punto in Rose Street’s multi-storey car park in Inverness.
But the boozy driver did not make it onto the roads, thanks to the actions of eagle-eyed onlookers, who alerted police and car park staff.
Wilson, 27, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of drink-driving.
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank that it was around 9.50pm when workers returning to their vehicles in the car park spotted Wilson walking unsteadily as if he had been drinking.
‘He appeared to be drunk’
He said: “They noted a male walking. He appeared to be unsteady on his feet, he appeared to be drunk.”
Soon after this, the witnesses spotted Wilson again, but this time he was behind the wheel.
“They noted a black Fiat Punto being driven, with the driver being the male they had earlier observed.”
When Wilson stopped the vehicle before exiting the car park one witness spoke briefly to him, a member of car park staff was informed and police were called.
Wilson failed an initial breath test and further testing at the police station revealed his breath alcohol level to be 108 microgrammes per 100 millilitres – almost five times the legal limit of 22 microgrammes.
‘Extremely foolish’
Solicitor Natalie Paterson, for Wilson, said the incident represented “extremely foolish” behaviour on the part of her client.
She said Wilson had met up with friends to watch a football game.
Initially drinking soft drinks, he had later decided to take alcohol, before returning to his vehicle.
She told the court that losing his license would have an impact on the grounds worker’s employment, where he was currently the “main driver”.
Sheriff Cruickshank fined Wilson, of Cranmore Drive, Smithton, £840 and banned him from the road for a year – which could be reduced by three months if he successfully completes a self-funded drink driver rehabilitation course.