A drink-driving Church of Scotland minister crashed into a parked car and then drove for around 16 miles – some of it on the wrong side of the road and without a tyre – before being stopped by police.
Rev Donald MacSween, of Kiltearn Parish Church in Evanton, was four times the drink-driving limit and narrowly avoided colliding with other vehicles, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
The minister’s solicitor told the court the incident was “a matter of considerable regret” and came about as a result of alcohol problems.
Fiscal depute Emma MacEwan said the 67-year-old’s car already had a puncture when he started his journey from a parking space outside the Old Post Office in the Easter Ross village on December 28 last year.
Despite colliding with a parked car on Chapel Road the reverend carried on travelling from Evanton to Avoch on the Black Isle.
Ms MacEwan said that en route the punctured tyre was ripped from the wheel and some of the journey was on its rim. At other times he was travelling on the wrong side of the road.
“He was travelling at speeds of between 15mph and 35mph,” she added.
MacSween admitted driving with 89mcgs of alcohol in his system when the legal limit is 22mcgs.
He also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.
‘He wishes to apologise unreservedly for his conduct’
Defence solicitor John MacColl said his client was a divorcee with two grown-up children and had been in post for 32 years.
He added: “He has been driving for many years without incident and this is a matter of considerable regret to him.
“He wishes to apologise unreservedly for his conduct and has written a letter of apology to the court.
“My client had been suffering from depression and turned to alcohol to alleviate the symptoms for a fairly restricted period.
“Subsequently to this, he attended his GP for treatment and is in a better place now.
“He is an upstanding member of the community and he made a mistake.
“There was immediate contrition for this error of judgement. He may decide he doesn’t want to drive again when his inevitable disqualification comes to an end.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer fined MacSween, whose address was given as the Manse of Kiltearn, Evanton, a total of £1,040 and banned him from driving for two years. He must also sit the extended driving test if he wants to regain his licence.
Sheriff Frazer told him: “It is a high reading and an alarming situation with one incident at the start and a further journey done by you. I don’t understand the reason for that but it was a dangerous thing to do.”
