News / Banned and fined
A MAN from Glasgow who drove while more than three times the drink-driving limit was banned from the road for over four years at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Martin Garscadden, of 169 Second Avenue, Uddingston, that his record showed an “atrocious regard” for road traffic laws.
The 40 year old admitted driving with 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath when stopped by police on the A970 at Cunningsburgh in the early hours of 19 June. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client hadn’t consumed alcohol for around two years, but decided to go out to celebrate his impending 40th birthday.
While drinking, he received a phone call from his wife saying that his mother-in-law had unexpectedly died.
The battery ran out when Garscadden was on his mobile and he decided to drive home to get a charger to reboot his phone.
The self-employed businessman didn’t realise how far over the limit he was, Allan told the court.
Sheriff Mann told Garscadden that he should know that driving with excess alcohol was “just not on”.
The sheriff disqualified him from holding a driving licence for four years and two months, fining him £1,000.
The disqualification may be reduced by 12 months if Garscadden completes a drink-driving rehab course.
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