An Angus shepherd has lost his licence and potentially, his career, after an early hours drink-drive crash on a glen road which saw him crawl free through the windscreen of his stricken vehicle.
Passers-by came across Peter McCready’s crashed car on the road between Edzell and Tarfside just before 4am.
Police arrived soon afterwards but the 26-year-old began hyperventilating when requested to provide a breath specimen and eventually gave a reading more than twice the legal limit at Dundee police HQ after 8am.
Appearing before Sheriff Derek Reekie at Forfar Sheriff Court, McCready, of Auchintool, Glenesk admitted driving on April 21 with excess alcohol – 55 microgrammes against a legal limit of 22 – and failing to co-operate with a preliminary breath test.
Depute fiscal Matthew Kerr said witnesses travelling on the road at 3.45am came across a car on its side.
“As they approached the vehicle the accused left through the windscreen. They went to speak to him and he was clearly under the influence,” Mr Kerr said.
Police attended the incident at 4.20am and required McCready to give a breath specimen.
“He initially agreed but the accused began to cry and hyperventilate and could not complete the procedure,” the depute fiscal continued.
The breath procedure was finally completed in Dundee at 8.20am.
McCready’s solicitor said his client was the head shepherd on Millden estate in the Angus glen and was “embarrassed and ashamed” by the offence, which had happened around the time of his grandfather’s death. They had been particularly close.
“He very rarely drinks, but he had too much to drink on that day. He appreciates it was a bad, bad decision to drive.
“He has worked hard to get into the position he is in but knows he is going to be punished.
“This is something of an aberration. It was a case of very poor judgment.”
Noting McCready had only held a full licence since 2016, Sheriff Reekie told him: “I will take at face value that this is a one-off.
“It’s clear you’ve no previous convictions of any sort, but the fact of the matter remains I have got to disqualify you.”
“There was a significant delay in taking a reading, “added the sheriff, telling the accused the ban would have been one of 16 months, but was subject to discount due to his early plea in the matter.
He fined McCready £900 and banned him from the road for 12 months.
