An apprentice plumber who drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed into another car claims he’d only had one drink.
David Bremner also said he had “no recollection” of driving, let alone bounding over a roundabout and crashing, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
His solicitor said the 18-year-old student made a “foolish mistake” to jump into his white Hyundai after a post-college drink in the pub.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said the crash happened on Birnie Road in Elgin at around 5.30pm on May 12 this year.
“Witnesses observed the vehicle swerving all over the road,” she said. “They observed it strike a traffic bollard. As it approached the Rothes roundabout it didn’t slow down and just continued over the top of the roundabout and onto the wrong side of the road.
“Oncoming traffic noticed the vehicle was in the wrong carriageway and tried to take evasive action but one vehicle was unable to do so and collided with the accused’s vehicle, causing driver-side damage.”
Doesn’t recall driving or hitting car
The court heard how witnesses who stopped to speak to Bremner noticed he appeared to be under the influence with “glazed eyes”.
“He was asked if he recalled colliding with the car but he said he didn’t even remember driving.”
When police arrived at the accident and saw his bleary eyes they searched him and found 0.3g of cocaine and 3.4g of cannabis on the teenager.
Bremner admitted drink-driving with 27mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 22, as well as possession of Class A drug cocaine and Class B drug cannabis.
Defence agent Grant Dalglish said the young apprentice will not lose his job as a result of the inevitable roads ban.
‘A young man who made a foolish mistake’
He added: “He had been at college. He went for a drink after college, though he was okay to drive and seriously misjudged that which was to his regret.”
He said that the drugs found on his client were due to him taking illicit substances “recreationally” at the time.
“Being caught by the police gave him quite a shock and scare,” he added. “He tells me he has not touched them since. He is a young man who made a foolish mistake.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood handed Bremner, of South Guildry Street, Elgin, a £1275 fine and a one-year roads ban. The teenager can reduce that ban length by 25% if he completes a drink-driver rehabilitation scheme.
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