News / Drink-drivers banned from the road
TWO people have been banned from the road after admitting separate drink-driving offences at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Lisa Duncan, of Urafirth, Heylor, was disqualified for 16 months and fined £400 for driving on the A970 near to the Muckle Roe junction on 9 April with 78 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml breath. The limit is 22 microgrammes.
Jeffrey Edwards, of Veester Hill, Sandwick, was banned for 12 months and given 40 hours of unpaid work after he admitted driving on the A970 at Channerwick with 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml breath, on 12 April.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said police received a phone call at around 4am that Duncan’s car had gone off the road.
They traced the 32 year old back to her house, where she initially denied having consumed any alcohol before saying she’d had some drinks the night before.
Duncan failed a roadside screening test before being arrested and taken to Lerwick Police Station.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had swerved off the road to avoid an animal and had three drinks spaced over time to calm her down after she arrived home.
Allan said the £2,000 car was “very badly damaged” and he added that his client may have not have been familiar with the current drink-drive limit.
Sheriff Philip Mann said Duncan was “considerably” over the limit but he added that she could reduce her ban by one quarter if she completed a drink-driving rehab course.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie said police stopped Edwards at around 3pm after receiving information from an onlooker who was worried about the manner of his driving.
Defence agent Allan said the 56 year old had become depressed after suffering two bereavements and drank some alcohol the night before to help him sleep. When this didn’t work, he had another whisky at 7am.
The solicitor added that Edwards was “ashamed and devastated” by the offence.
Sheriff Philip Mann also gave him the opportunity to reduce his ban by one quarter if he completes a rehab course.
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