A drink-driving soldier crashed and flipped his car into its roof while more than double the legal alcohol limit.
Alexander Park had been a qualified driver for less than six months when he crashed his Fiat Panda on the B9001 at Glendronach Distillery, Forgue, in the early hours of the morning.
Despite his car ending up on its roof, the 19-year-old escaped uninjured.
He called an ambulance himself and immediately confessed to the call handler that he’d been drinking.
Fiscal depute Kiril Bonavino told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened after 4am on July 23.
He said: “Police received information from the Scottish Ambulance Service about them receiving a call from a male who stated he had been involved in a one-vehicle road traffic collision and that he was under the influence of alcohol.
‘Court must always view drink-driving as serious’
“At 4.40am, police arrive to find the accused’s black Fiat Panda was on its roof clear of the carriageway and that the accused was receiving medical checks.”
Park identified himself as the driver and subsequently failed a roadside breath test.
Park pled guilty to dangerous driving and driving with 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
Appearing without a solicitor, Park initially declined to say anything in mitigation.
Sheriff William Summers said: “There must be something you want to tell me.
‘Matter of good fortune nobody was injured’
“How long have you had a licence for?”
Park replied: “Seven months, since March this year.”
Asked what his occupation was, Park said he was a soldier.
After checking with his family in the public gallery, Park confirmed there was nothing further he wished to add.
The sheriff said: “These are serious offences.
“The court must always view drink-driving as serious because of the consequences it can have not only for you but for other road users.
“It’s plainly a matter of good fortune that neither you nor anybody else was injured in this episode.”
He ordered Park, of Comrie Crescent, Hamilton, to pay a fine of £840 and banned him from driving for 16 months.
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