A man was caught driving “erratically” around Aberdeen’s Union Square car park after tasting his first alcohol in three years.
Kim Swanson was fined £600 and disqualified for 18 months following his “stupid decision” to get behind the wheel while four times the drink-drive limit.
The 52-year-old, of Balnagask Road, Aberdeen, appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday, and admitted drink-driving on July 29.
He was found to have 88 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when he was tested. The legal limit is 22mcg.
The court heard security in the city car park reported a drunk driver in a red Vauxhall.
Fiscal Katie Murray told the court: “CCTV shows the vehicle was being driven erratically.
“Police officers stopped the vehicle and the accused was found to be the driver.
“A breath test provided a positive result.”
Swanson’s defence agent Shane Campbell told the court his client and his wife had decided to stop drinking three-and-a-half years previous to the incident “to spend more time pursuing activities instead of feeling hungover”.
He said: “This was the first time my client had consumed alcohol in a number of years.
“He lives in Torry, a short walk, but he felt sober and took the irrational decision to drive.
“The accused knows the drink driving was a stupid decision.”
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill said: “I do find it difficult to comprehend you felt you were sober enough to drive.
“It appears you were tee-total for three-and-a-half-years and stepped away from that in a spectacular style.”
Swanson’s sentence was reduced from 24 months disqualification to 18 months and a £900 fine down to £600.
