A Stirling woman who got behind the wheel while more than five times over the limit was this week banned from driving for two years.
Claire McPherson, of Chattan Avenue, admitted a charge of driving at the Co-op in Causewayhead Road on May 18 this year while the proportion of alcohol in her breath was 122mg in 100ml of breath. The limit being 22mg.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Reid told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that police received a phone call from a member of the public at 1pm that day about a woman driving a black Mini Cooper while under the influence. The 52-year-old’s driving had been erratic.
A short time later, Ms Reid added, information was passed to the police that the vehicle may be headed for Chattan Avenue, where McPherson was later traced by police.
McPherson appeared to be under the influence to officers – and when they asked her for the vehicle’s registered keeper details, she stated: ‘It was me’.
Her lawyer told Sheriff William Gilchrist that “nothwithstanding the serious nature of the offence the [social work] report [requested by the court] was fairly positive”.
McPherson’s judgement at the time had been clouded at the time as she had been going through a difficult time.
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“She accepts that there are issues that she has to deal with and she’s dealing with them,” added the solicitor.
A first offender, the conviction had been a “wake-up call” for her client.
The lawyer described McPherson, currently on benefits, as vulnerable, adding: “I’m not sure it would benefit anyone for her to carry out unpaid work”.
Sheriff William Gilchrist told McPherson: “This is a very high reading. It’s difficult to understand how you thought you were fit to drive.
“You had been drinking the night before. You must have consumed a very large amount of alcohol to be still under the influence at 1pm.”
He fined McPherson £500 and disqualifed her from driving for two years.
The fine was reduced from £750, and the ban from three years, due to the guilty plea.
