A soldier who drowned his sorrows in his car after being dumped was caught drink-driving by his fellow squaddies as he returned to base.
Oliver Cameron drew the attention of guards at Kinloss Barracks when he drove through the base with open cans of cider and lager in his car.
The 19-year-old had been dumped by his long-term girlfriend the day before and, after drinking with others, decided to carry on the session in his car, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Stuart Coleman said he was stopped by his colleagues at 5.25am on May 14 this year after they saw him “driving at speed” past the guard room on the base.
Open cans of alcohol in car
“They spoke to him and found him to be under the influence of alcohol,” the fiscal said.
“He was slurring his words and had open cans of Crabbies cider and Tennents lager in his car.”
He was detained and admitted to fellow soldiers that he “knew he had done wrong, he had driven and had been drinking a lot”.
He was found to have 88mcg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, the legal limit being 22.
His defence agent Matthew O’Neill said the soldier of two years had made a “foolish decision” and had admitted a drink-driving charge at the first opportunity.
He said the first offender was accompanied by Ministry of Defence officials in the courtroom and would face further punishment through them – the worst outcome of which could see him discharged from a career he enjoys.
He ‘didn’t want to put people out’
“He indicates he is not somebody who normally drinks to excess,” the solicitor added.
“Unfortunately the day prior to this incident his long-term partner had ended their relationship.
“He didn’t take it well and on the Saturday night alcohol was consumed. Not wanting to put people out, he and a friend move to his car to continue drinking, which was parked at the south side of the base.”
Getting caught was ‘inevitable’
He said afterwards the pair then drove from the south side back to the north where Cameron’s block was.
“It was inevitable he was going to get caught,” Mr O’Neill added. “He accepted fully when police attended the foolishness of his endeavour.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood handed Cameron, of Burghead Road, Kinloss, a £640 fine and a 14-month roads ban, which he can reduce by 25% if he completes a drink-driver rehabilitation course.
For all the latest court cases in Elgin as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group.
