An Ayrshire taxi driver was more than three times the legal drink-drive limit when he ploughed into another vehicle near Prestwick Airport.
Cockburn appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court last Tuesday for sentencing.
He admitted driving on the A79 near Prestwick Airport on August 2 this year with a reading of 156 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is just 50 microgrammes.
Laurin Campbell, the fiscal depute, told the court how the accused was travelling near the roundabout at the A79 north of the airport when the crash happened.
“A collision took place, police attended and spoke with the accused and other witnesses,” she said.
“They asked him for a breath test and due to the reading he was informed he was under arrest and transported to Ayr police station.”
Due to a fault in the calibration of the testing kit, Cockburn was then requested to undertake a blood specimen.
Ms Campbell said: “A police doctor attended and blood was obtained. It was examined and provided 156 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50 microgrammes.”
Cockburn’s defence solicitor told the court how his client was a married man and now unemployed.
He said: “He’s been a taxi driver for most of his adult life. Now that’s been lost.
“He has no previous convictions and nothing else outstanding.
“He’s had his licence since 1979 – without incident.
“He received a call from his brother with disturbing news and he drank a quantity of alcohol and he felt he was fit enough to drive.
“He was driving to his employment, was impeded by a slow-moving vehicle.
“He anticipated being ‘let out’ but it did not happen and he struck the vehicle in front of him.
“He was fully cooperative with the other driver and the police.”
He added: “There’s significant regret and remorse.
“He does not intent to drive again. He recognises that it’s behind him now.
“It’s a first offence but a fairly calamitous one.”
The court was told there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Sheriff David Young banned Cockburn from the roads for 14 months and ordered him to re-sit his test.
Cockburn was also fined £500 and given 28 days to pay.
