Inverness drink driver told she's lucky not to have killed
A WOMAN who was three times over the drink drive limit was ordered to carry out unpaid work and was handed a four-year ban.
Sheriff Ian Abercrombie told Josephine Glass (42) of Anzio Road, Inverness, that it was lucky no-one had died on the stretch of road she had driven on and that she escaped prison on this occasion "by the narrowest of margins."
Glass, who already has a previous drink driving conviction, admitted at Inverness Sheriff Court driving on Culcabock Road, in Inverness on February 1 with an count of 118 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The permitted limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol.
Defence solicitor Craig Wood said she had taken too much red wine and decided to drive three-quarters of a mile to her home.
He said: "She knew she shouldn’t have got behind the wheel at the time. My client knows she could face prison for this offence and I would simply ask my lord not to do that and instead to give some consideration of her suitability for community payback."
Sheriff Abercrombie said: "Certainly there is a number of people living in that three-quarters of a mile. Children, toddlers and animals and any of which might not be alive today if Miss Glass had hit them."
The sheriff told Glass: "By the narrowest of margins you have escaped going to prison. I had given serious consideration to a six month custodial sentence. Mr Wood, who has said everything possible on your behalf, has told me you are aware if you ever appear here again on any drink driving offence I will have no option but to impose a custodial sentence."
The sheriff ordered Glass to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work to be completed within eight months as part of the community payback order. He also ordered her to attend an offenders awareness programme which is run by Action for Children. Sheriff Abercrombie also ordered Glass to attend an alcohol treatment programme for nine months.
He said: "This is to bring home to you the fact that you are a drunk and in need of rehabilitation."
Glass was banned from driving for four years.
