Court / Driver banned for three years

A MAN from County Durham has been banned from driving for three years after being caught at Holmsgarth ferry terminal with excess alcohol in his system.

Sam Gilbert of Owton Manor Lane, Hartlepool, was breathalysed leaving the NorthLink ferry and found to have 68 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. He was then taken to the police station in Lerwick.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that the 28 year old was also found to be in possession of a “force multiplier keyring attachment”, deemed an offensive weapon.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that the car and the key ring belonged to Gilbert’s uncle, who lived south.

Allan said that Gilbert had been drinking on the NorthLink ferry and had realised he should not be driving the next morning. He had tried to find someone willing to drive the car off the ferry, but with no success.

“He accepts that he had a few drinks the night before and in the morning did not feel fit to drive his vehicle and wanted someone else to drive it,” said Allan.

He added that Gilbert had felt pressurised to drive the car off the ferry and had intended to park it at Holmsgarth until he was fit to drive. He pleaded guilty to the offence at the earliest opportunity.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said that he had to take account of a previous drink driving conviction within the last 10 years in sentencing Gilbert.

He gave him a three-year driving ban and fined him £400, plus another £100 for possessing an offensive weapon, which was also forfeited.