A repeat drink-driver has been locked up after tearing along city streets at night without lights, swerving onto the wrong side of the road and crashing – all while more than six times the alcohol limit.
Oilfield instrument engineer Zak Shinnie’s dangerous driving was today branded “disgraceful” by a sheriff as he sent him to prison.
The 50-year-old ploughed through two traffic islands after speeding along roads including the Lang Stracht, the A944, Kingwells Causeway and Derbeth Grange in Kingswells.
He also drove in darkness with no lights, mounted a kerb, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and ignored a red light.
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened during the evening of March 21 while it was dark.
On the Lang Stracht he said Shinnie “swerved and mounted a kerb and repeatedly moved between the two carriageways”.
He also failed to stop at a red light and was seen to be driving with no headlights on despite it being dark.
Shinnie slowed down and sped up on the Lang Stracht and crossed onto the wrong side of the road, causing another car to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
He then joined the A944 at approximately 70mph and onto Kingswells Causeway where he was “seen to hit two traffic islands, one after the other”.
Accused had ‘a difficult time of late’
After hitting the second island, Shinnie’s vehicle came to a stop and members of the public approached and spoke to him.
They described him as being “intoxicated”.
He was later traced at home by police officers and provided a positive breath sample.
Shinnie, of Derbeth Grange, Kingswells, pled guilty to dangerous driving and driving with 139 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had one previous conviction from 15 years ago, but that it was also for drink-driving.
He explained Shinnie had had “a difficult time of late”, due to the break-up of a long-term relationship and the death of a close friend.
Mr Kelly said his client had been “drinking heavily” over the weekend and had been at the Summerhill Hotel.
He planned to leave his car there and get a taxi, but when none were available Shinnie took the “rash decision” to drive.
His solicitor added: “That could have cost not only himself but other members of the public their lives and he is suitably remorseful.
“He has now voluntarily engaged with Alcohol & Drugs Action with a view to seeking support.
“He realises he can’t be using alcohol as a crutch for the problems he has gone through.”
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Shinnie: “The driving which was described was absolutely disgraceful and, of course, very dangerous.
Anything other than jail ‘quite impossible for court to consider’
“I note one of the places you were driving was the Lang Stracht, which of course has residential properties adjacent to the street.
“It’s perhaps fortunate that more damage was not done and no one was injured.
“The level of alcohol in your body was over six times the legal limit and, to make matters even worse, you have a previous conviction for drink-driving, although that was a long time ago.
“It’s simply so aggravating it would be quite impossible for the court to consider any sentence other than one of imprisonment to be appropriate.”
He jailed Shinnie for six months and disqualified him from driving for three years and seven months.
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