A repeat drink-driver has been banned from the road for more than three years and ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Jamie Beglin was spotted “weaving” across the road on the B999 by a witness who called the police.
Other witnesses had also tried to stop him driving when he first got in the car, but the 47-year-old “ignored” them and drove off.
Crown narrative
Fiscal depute Janet MacDonald told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “The time of the offence was 6.25 on August 25, 2020.
“Witnesses saw the accused enter the vehicle. They were suspicious that the accused was drunk due to the smell of alcohol coming off him and thereafter questioned his fitness to drive and spoke to him.
“The accused ignored the witnesses and drove away.
“Police were contacted at that point due to concern.
“At 6.50pm a witness travelling along the B999 became aware of the car weaving across the road.
“This witness, also concerned, contacted the police.
“Police attended and saw the accused within the vehicle, having just reversed in to a driveway.”
The charge
Beglin, of Manse Walk, Tarves, pled guilty to driving on Manse Walk with 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
Mitigation
Beglin appeared without a solicitor and declined the opportunity to tell the court anything about the circumstances of the offence.
He had previously submitted a written letter to the court providing further information, but this was not read in open court.
Sheriff Buchanan’s comments and sentence
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “Your previous conviction for drink-driving is obviously a matter of some seriousness.
“This is a further offence a couple of years after that sentence was imposed.
“The reading here, although not terribly high, is still quite high and concerning.
“I would, I think, with a reading like this, be entitled to send you to prison, but I’m not going to do that and instead impose a community payback order.”
He ordered Beglin to be supervised for a year and complete 160 hours of unpaid work.
The sheriff also granted a crown motion for forfeiture of Beglin’s car and banned him from driving for three years and four months.
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