A Scots dad who replied “Marry me” to the police officer charging him with drink driving has been banned from the roads for three years.
Connor Docherty was stopped behind the wheel last month and found to be nearly five times over the limit.
The 27-year-old, who had a previous conviction for drink driving, now faces losing his job as a mobile carer.
Docherty appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday and admitted driving with 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22mg.
Fiscal depute Callum Thomson said Docherty had been pulled over by police on the A701 Straiton Road in Midlothian at 12.25am on April 28.
Mr Thomson said officers saw his car being driven “slower than normal”. They found Docherty had dilated pupils and was slurring his words, he added.
The prosecutor said: “When charged with the offence he responded with, “Marry me”.”
Defence agent Liam Kildare said Docherty had been “fully cooperative” and ended up “joking” with the officers.
Mr Kildare said one of the cops was engaged and Docherty suggested they marry him instead as a “joke”.
The solicitor said Docherty had been on a week’s stay at the Haggerston Castle Holiday Park in Northumberland with his father and a friend.
The accused’s father was drinking on the second day, said Mr Kildare, and became “extremely intoxicated”. He added Docherty’s dad was “abusive and aggressive” towards him, and “made threats to murder him”.
Mr Kildare said his client fled the holiday park after drinking as he was “scared and in fear of his safety”, even leaving behind his pal in his rush.
The court heard dad-of-one Docherty, of Glasgow, worked as a mobile carer. Mr Kildare said it was likely Docherty would lose his job as a result of the conviction, acknowledging it wasn’t his first drink driving offence and a three-year minimum ban applied.
Sheriff Peter McCormack gave Docherty a three-year ban and a £640 fine.
