Home brew tipple costs salesman his driving licence

Potent home brew cost an Angus driver his licence after he took up the offer for a tipple before driving home.

Alan Falconer thought he would be fine to get behind the wheel after having a tea-time drink at a customer’s house, but when he landed in a ditch on a rural road police found the 38-year-old to be almost three times the legal limit.

Falconer, of Ness Drive, Arbroath, was found to have a reading of 99 micrograms against a legal limit of 35 following the incident on the Kingennie to Wellbank road on March 28.

His agent told Forfar Sheriff Court that the accused was a salesman who had been at a customer’s house and “rather stupidly” accepted the offer of some home brew.

“Being home brew he wasn’t sure of the strength and thought he was OK to drive, but was well in excess of the limit.

“He was coming over the brow of a hill and a deer ran into the road, which he swerved to avoid,” said the agent.

Sheriff Valerie Johnston told Falconer the alcohol figure was a “high reading” and banned him from the road for two years.

He was also fined £560, discounted from £800 because of the early plea.