An Aberdeen University rugby star has been banned from the roads after being caught by police nearly five times over the drink-drive limit.
Nicholas Diston, a third year medical student and captain of the Aberdeen University Medics rugby team, claimed he was on his way to help a friend in “extreme distress” when he was stopped by officers on Aberdeen’s John Street.
The city’s sheriff court heard the 24-year-old had been watching Scotland’s crunch European qualification match with Serbia in the hours before he was stopped.
When breathalised it was found he had 106 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
He had also been driving while over the limit on Schoolhill, Blackfriars Street, St Andrews Street and Charlotte Street, Aberdeen on Friday, November 13.
Diston admitted the offence when he appeared in court yesterday.
His solicitor, James McKay, said his client had gone to bed after drinking during the Scotland vs Serbia football match but was woken by an early morning call from a rugby teammate who appeared extremely upset.
He said the medical student rushed to his car, intent on helping, but was stopped by police soon after in the centre of Aberdeen.
Fiscal depute Brian Young said: “At around 4.35am the police had cause to stop the accused at John Street in Aberdeen, at that time the accused provided a positive specimen of breath.
“He was thereafter conveyed to the Kittybrewster custody suite and the over reading was noted and a charge was given.”
Mr McKay said his client was “remorseful” and “extremely ashamed” about the incident.
He added: “He had been drinking and had no intention of driving and went to bed and slept for some hours and was woken by a phone call from one of the younger lads in the rugby team who was clearly in distress.
“Mr Diston reacted to that and chose to drive to his friend’s house to try and help him – that was his intention anyway.
“He hadn’t got very far when he realised that he was having difficulties and his intention at that point was to abandon the car, but the police caught up with him.”
Mr McKay continued by saying that Diston had “put his concern for this fellow team mate ahead of any logical interest”.
But Sheriff Richard McFarlane said the student had only been caught thanks to “police vigilance” and not as a result of him being “nervous” over his alcohol intake.
He added Diston had been “considerably in excess” of the drink-drive limit.
He said: “I understand, perhaps, the overriding concern for your team mate, but you, as you are embarking upon a hopefully successful medical career will no doubt be well aware that the body ingests alcohol very, very quickly and metabolises it not so quickly.”
Diston, of Leslie Terrace, Aberdeen, was banned from driving for 16 months and fined £1,000.
The medical student was also ordered to take part in a six-month drink driving rehabilitation scheme.
