Drink drivers pay the price

TWO motorists who fell foul of drink driving laws have lost their licences.

Michael Geoghegan, 65, of Connemara in Ireland, pleaded guilty to driving with over three times the permitted alcohol in his system on 20 June.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Geoghegan was breathalysed 200 metres south of the Toft ferry terminal at 8pm and was found to have 71 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Geoghegan was disqualified for 18 months and fined £600 with the option to undertake the drink driving rehabilitation course which would see a reduction in his ban.

Meanwhile 27-year-old Alexander Bailey of Burnbank, Lerwick, admitted driving with 81 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood when the permitted maximum is 50 milligrammes.

Bailey’s car was seen off the road just south of Cunningsburgh by a passing motorist about 2am on 15 April.

He turned out to be inside the vehicle and the other driver waited with him for emergency services. He failed the roadside test and was taken to hospital, with a blood sample taken about 6.40am.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined him £500, banned him from holding a driving licence for 15 months and gave him the option to take the drink driving rehabilitation course that would see a reduction in his ban.