A mum that was caught drinking driving by police has told a court that she only got behind the wheel to escape an ex-partner who was demanding sex.
Officers had pulled over Angela Mercer's car after they noticed that it was being driven with a flat tyre in Scotland's capital.
A court heard the 54-year-old HR worker was left “scared” by her former partner’s behaviour and “sought refuge” in her Vauxhall Crossland.
But she was arrested after police found she was nearly three times over the alcohol limit.
Mercer appeared at the city’s sheriff court on Wednesday and admitted a charge of drink driving in the Brunstane area.
Fiscal depute Christine Brownlie said police on patrol pulled Mercer over after spotting her deflated tyre and damage to a wheel trim.
Ms Brownlie said Mercer admitted she’d been drinking and was breathalysed.
Mercer pled guilty to having 64 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath on August 22 last year. The legal limit is 22mg.
Defence agent Sandy Raeburn said Mercer had been at the home of a “friend” whom she’d previously been in a relationship with.
Mr Raeburn said the man “started to behave in an aggressive and threatening manner” and “wanted to have relations with her that night”.
The solicitor said the man had “followed her out” when she left and “tried to take her back in the house”.
He added: “She sought refuge in her car away from this person.
“She was so scared she didn’t know what to do and drove away from this person’s home to try and protect herself.”
Mr Raeburn said Mercer continued driving when the “threat” was no longer present and accepted this left her liable to the drink driving charge.
The court heard Mercer, from Musselburgh, East Lothian, was pulled over four miles from the man’s address as she made her way home.
Sheriff Roderick Flinn banned first offender Mercer from driving for 12 months and imposed a £240 fine.
