Two women have avoided jail after getting behind the wheel on north-east east roads while they were well over the legal alcohol limit.
First offender Morag Davidson was almost seven times the limit when she was caught by officers on June 5.
She had been driving her husband’s Ford Focus along Craigour Road, Torphins, when she was stopped and asked to carry out a breath test.
The reading showed she had 153 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Yesterday Davidson was given the maximum number of hours of unpaid work to carry out as a direct alternative to prison.
She previously admitted the offence when she appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court from custody.
Solicitor Iain McGregor said his client had been suffering from “multiple issues” and had turned to alcohol as a result.
Sheriff Alison Stirling said that since the 57-year-old had no other previous convictions she would spare her a custodial sentence.
Instead, she ordered her to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work within the next year and disqualified her from driving for 40 months.
Davidson, of Invergownie Croft, St Marnan Road, Torphins, can reduce her ban by six months if she completes the drink-drivers’ rehabilitation course.
Andrea McDonald was also ordered to carry out unpaid work yesterday after she admitted getting behind the wheel while more than five times the legal alcohol limit.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard she was caught by officers on the city’s King Street on June 7 this year – the day after her 50th birthday.
A breath test showed McDonald, of 47 Wallacebrae Crescent, Aberdeen, had 124 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
She had also been accused of driving her red Audi A3 carelessly, but her not guilty plea to this charge was accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff Stirling ordered McDonald to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work in the community within the next year and disqualified her from driving for 32 months.
McDonald was also told her sentence was an alternative to jail.