Drove while four times over limit

Jun 25 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A WOMAN drove while nearly four times the legal alcohol limit because she didn’t want other people to see her drunk.

Police officers received an anonymous tip that Linda Muir had been driving while over the limit just after 2pm on February 23 this year.

They were directed to her home on Letham Grove, Pumpherston and found her car in the drive with the engine still warm.

They knocked the door and Muir answered. Officers noted that she was unsteady on her feet and slurring her words.

The 45-year-old told the cops she had been driving the vehicle and provided a positive breath test.

She was taken to Livingston Police Station where she was breathalysed. Muir gave a sample of 125 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, nearly four times the legal limit of 35mg in 100mls.

Last week at Linlithgow Sheriff Court Muir pled guilty to the offence.

Her solicitor, Andy Aitken, told the court there was no real reason for his client to have been driving that day.

Mr Aitken said: “She was simply embarrassed about her drunk state and didn’t want people to see her like that.

“This offence took place in the backdrop of a significant alcohol problem.

“She has a previous drink drive conviction from 2002.

“She knows she is facing a significant ban but she does not want to drive again until she deals with her problem.”

Banning Muir from the roads for four years and ordering her to carry out 100 hours of community service, Sheriff Douglas Kinloch said: “You have admitted driving while nearly four times over the drink drive limit.

“Driving after having consumed so much alcohol must have placed you and other road users in considerable danger.

“Moreover, this is your second conviction for this type of offence.

“All of that males this offence very serious.

“It appears you have a long-standing drink problem. I will take into account that prior to this offence you had voluntarily taken steps to tackle this.

“Indeed, you maintain you have not had a drink for two months.

“In these circumstances I am willing to deal with this by a non-custodial sentence. But it will be a direct alternative to custody.

“The minimum disqualified is three years but with your high reading I think a four year ban is appropriate.”