News / Young cop banned for drink driving
A YOUNG Shetland police officer faces losing his career after being convicted for drink driving at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Jonathan Mustard, whose address was given as care of Lerwick police station, admitted driving to work in his car on 8 October last year over the limit for alcohol in his blood.
He has been suspended since the offence and is now subject to an internal disciplinary hearing.
The court heard that the 21 year old turned up at the police station on Market Street the morning after a night out thinking he was fit for duty.
His supervising officer was not so sure and after hearing he had driven to work he had his blood checked, finding 96 miligrammes of alcohol in 100 mililitres of blood, just above the limit of 80.
Defence agent David Hunter described it as “a classic case of the morning after” for the young policeman who had been in the service since he was 16 years old when he served as a cadet for Northern Constabulary.
Mr Hunter said: “This was clearly a spectacular error of judgment on his part. He is readily aware that it probably brings an end to his career.”
Fining Mustard £400 and banning him from driving for 12 months, Sheriff Philip Mann said in some respects the case was “heartening” in that it showed that everyone was subject to the law no matter what their occupation.
He added that he hoped his superiors would recognise that everyone is entitled to make an error of judgment some time in their life.
“One would hope that you are not going to be judged too harshly,” he said, adding: “Having made those remarks I wouldn’t want you to think I condone in any way offending of this nature.”
The sheriff said the disqualification could be reduced by three months if Mustard complets an alcohol awareness course.
After sentence was handed down, a Northern Constabulary spokesman said: “The force does not condone criminality of any kind and officers are expected to maintain the highest level of professional standards.
“As this matter will now be the subject of internal disciplinary procedures it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Meanwhile a 22 year old apprentice mechanical technician from Whalsay was fined £500 and banned for 16 months after he admitted driving while three and a half times the drink driving limit.
Duncan Simpson, of Kildonan, North Park, Symbister, admitted driving while drunk in the early hours of 20 November last year.
He was stopped at 2.30am on the Brough to Symbister public road at Skibberhoull, where he told police he had been out all night and after going home had decided to take his car to visit a friend.
His ban can be cut by four months if he completes an alcohol awareness course.
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