A mental health nurse has been banned from the roads after she was caught behind the wheel with a child in the car while nearly SEVEN times the drink-drive limit.
Sarah Cowie, or Hawcutt, 42, was seen veering across the carriageway by motorists on the A947 road in Aberdeenshire on September 20 last year.
When Hawcutt pulled her red Volkswagen into a shop forecourt, witnesses noticed she was swaying, had flushed cheeks and her eyes were “glassy”.
Upon further inspection, they saw there was also a child in the car.
As Hawcutt then pulled out of the forecourt, those gathered there called the police, who traced the nurse at her home.
Officers breathalysed Hawcutt who was found to be just under seven times the drink-drive limit.
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that at around 2.15pm on September 20 last year Hawcutt was spotted by other road users “veering” across the single carriageway A947 road between Turriff and Fyvie.
“The manner of her driving was giving them cause for concern and they sounded their horns to alert the accused but she continued to drive in the same manner,” Ms Petersen said.
“She pulled into the forecourt of shops in Fyvie and the witnesses pulled in behind her – it was then they saw that she had a child in the car.
“They saw that the accused’s eyes were glassy, her cheeks were flushed and she was swaying.”
Mr Petersen said Hawcutt then got back into the car and where she then drove back out into the carriageway and drove towards the Co-op in Fyvie.
The witnesses followed her and challenged her as she got out of the car – at which point she stumbled into the child.
As witnesses called the police, Hawcutt then got back into her car and drove away.
When officers arrived at Hawcutt’s home, they found that her car bonnet was “hot to the touch”.
The constables also noted that she appeared to be drunk when answering the door.
Hawcutt told the police officers that she “had had some wine”.
But added: “I didn’t drink before I drove but I have been drinking since I came back.”
She then showed the officers a half-full bottle of wine.
However, when breathalysed Hawcutt gave a reading of 152 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
She pleaded guilty to one charge of driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit.
‘It’s a very, very high reading’
Defence agent Christopher Maitland that his client has “admitted difficulties with alcohol”.
He said: “She was driving the car and she was over the limit – it’s as straightforward as that.
“She can’t remember what she was even doing that day, it must have been important, but she just can’t remember.”
Mr Maitland added that since this incident his client had been referred to a substance abuse service, which she “continues to work with”.
Sheriff Ian Wallace described the charge as “a very, very high reading”.
He added that he also had “real difficulty believing” her explanation to police that she hadn’t been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel.
Sheriff Wallace disqualified Hawcutt, of Aberdeenshire, from driving for 27 months and ordered her to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
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