A Shetland man who drove while seven times the alcohol limit was caught drink driving a second time in the same week.
Torbjorn Riise, of Undirhoull, Scalloway, has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
The 45-year-old appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday to plead guilty to driving a car with 156 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Undirhoull and Main Street, in Scalloway, on 19 January. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
Riise also admitted failing to give information about his identity to police.
A week after that offence, he was caught drink driving in Scalloway again.
In court yesterday, Riise also admitted driving at East Voe on January 26 while six times the legal limit.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie made a motion to forfeit the vehicle used by Riise before confirming he would oppose defence agent Tommy Allan’s request for bail.
Mackenzie said that while Riise’s “aggressive drink problem” may have been successfully battled in the past, he had “fallen off the wagon quite spectacularly”.
The fiscal said the court would be failing in its public duty if Riise was released on bail, adding that a stint in jail could potentially be beneficial to Riise and his health.
Allan said that his client, who works as a fish processor, had been treated in hospital due to his alcohol consumption.
Honorary sheriff Malcolm Bell deferred sentence until February 15 for social work reports to be prepared, while the decision on forfeiture of the vehicle was moved to the same date.
Bell said he would be “failing in his duty to the public” if he granted bail because of the likelihood of Riise reoffending before remanding him in custody.
Last night, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP and long-standing road safety campaigner David Stewart did not wish to comment on individual cases, but warned against the risks of driving while intoxicated.
“Driving while impaired, whether it’s drink, drugs or looking at a mobile phone, make drivers a huge liability for other road users, passengers, and I have particular concerns about pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.
“The reason Scotland reduced the drink driving limits was to ensure we reduced our casualties, and hopefully increase detection.
“I think for many people in the public drink driving is not being seen as being ‘Jack the lad’, it is seen as seriously socially unacceptable.”
