A drink driver who was giving his grandfather a lift crashed his car and got it stuck on top of a dyke.
David Gillespie was already banned from the road at the time but got behind the wheel of his grandad’s car after it was agreed he was “least drunk” of the two.
The 29-year-old, who had served less than two months of a previous roads ban when he crashed the car, was so drunk he struggled to stand up straight, Peterhead Sheriff Court was told.
As well as drinking lager and vodka, the nightshift worker had smoked cannabis.
A witness who saw the crash said Gillespie was “struggling to walk” as he got out of the car to ask for his help.
Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAllister told the court that the car Gillespie was driving came to a rest on a wall on the A950 New Pitsligo-to-Mintlaw road’s junction with the B9030.
‘Both men were intoxicated’
“The witness saw the vehicle coming off the road and get lodged on the top of a wall,” he said.
“Within the car was a young male and an older man, later established to be his grandfather.
“Both men were intoxicated.
“The accused was struggling to stand up straight.
“He went over towards the witness and asked if he could get a hand getting the car unstuck from the wall.
“The witness declined and called the police.”
Admitted all to police
When officers arrived they found Gillespie “unsteady on his feet” but willing to admit he had been drinking and taken the Class B drug cannabis.
He also admitted he had been driving at the time and had “struck some roadsigns” too.
A reading taken by police found Gillespie almost three times the legal limit.
Defence agent Iain Jane said his client “accepted full responsibility” and that the car belonged to his grandfather.
“The decision had been made that out of the two of them Mr Gillespie was less drunk and could be relied upon to drive them both home,” he told the court.
“Clearly that was not correct.
“He understands that his behaviour was completely unacceptable and knows that anything I can say on his behalf is explanatory rather than mitigatory.”
Jail term a possibility
He urged Sheriff Christine McCrossan to consider dealing with Gillespie by way of a community payback order, however she warned “custody has to be considered”.
“This is a case where given your breach of a court order so quickly after it was imposed and given that there was a very real danger to the public, custody has to be considered,” she said.
The sheriff deferred sentencing again until November in order for a restriction of liberty order assessment to be completed in case this can be used as a direct alternative to custody.
Gillespie, of Duncan Crescent, Peterhead, also admitted a charge of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
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