A drink-driver caught with a knife in his car claimed he had the blade to “sharpen his pencils”.
Andrew Hindes was more than double the legal alcohol limit when police officers pulled him over on the Lang Stracht in Aberdeen.
The 34-year-old was initially searched due to a smell of cannabis, but instead of drugs, officers found a blade stashed under his seat.
And when questioned about the knife, Hindes told officers he had it “to sharpen his pencils”.
Fiscal depute Ryan Diamond told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At 12.25am on September 27 2021 police on mobile patrol in a marked vehicle saw the vehicle being driven by the accused.
‘He advised he had it to sharpen his pencils’
“They had cause to stop the vehicle and, on approaching, there was a smell of cannabis from within.”
Hindes was placed in handcuffs while officers carried out a search and recovered a knife with a one-inch blade underneath the driver’s seat.
Mr Diamond said: “Asked why it was under his seat, he advised he had it to sharpen his pencils.”
‘Positive matters’ highlighted in report
Officers then also detected a smell of alcohol and, following a positive breath test, Hindes was taken into custody.
Hindes, of Nellfield Place, Aberdeen, pled guilty to driving with 47 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
He also admitted possession of a knife.
Defence agent Shane Campbell said “various positive matters” were highlighted in a background social work report on Hindes.
He added Hindes had the knife for work purposes and had been cooperating “very well” with an existing community payback order.
Sheriff Leslie Johnston imposed an 18-month driving ban and a 75-day curfew as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.
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