A serial drink driver has been jailed by a sheriff who told him it would have been better had he “thrown away his car keys” after his last conviction.
Harry Thomson appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court twice within the space of 24 hours in May, having been charged with two separate drink driving offences.
The 69-year-old was more than four times the legal alcohol limit during one incident and was disqualified from driving at that time.
However, Thomson returned to the dock yesterday having been caught flouting his road ban once more while drunk last month.
The accused, of St Mary’s in Monymusk, had 85 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when he was tested at his home on Sunday, July 8.
He was once again almost four times the legal limit, which is just 22mcg.
The court heard that concerned neighbours, who were aware of Thomson’s past problems, called police after seeing him enter his vehicle at about 8pm.
Fiscal depute Katy Begg said: “When police arrived at his property they found the accused smelled strongly of alcohol.
“Thomson thereafter attempted to sit in a chair but was unable to do so, causing the chair to tip over and he fell onto the floor.
“Based on these events the officers formed the opinion that the accused was unfit to be driving.”
Thomson also admitted charges of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
The pensioner’s lawyer, Ross Taggart, said his client had a “major problem” with alcohol but asked that he be given “another chance”.
Sheriff Phillip Mann, however, jailed Thomson for eight months and banned him from driving for six-and-a-half years.
He told Thomson: “It is a pity you did not throw your car keys away after your last conviction, because you have succumbed to temptation once more and committed what are serious offences.”
