A moonboot-wearing Angus nurse has hung onto her driving licence by a whisker after being caught behind the wheel at 1am while more than four times the legal alcohol limit.
Care home worker Therese Nikoy had downed a bottle and a half of red wine before walking to her car, which she had parked five minutes from her home after a dog walk.
Police came across her sitting in the vehicle with its engine running, seatbelt on and indicators flashing.
However, the 45-year-old avoided a driving ban after a sheriff accepted her explanation that she had returned to the vehicle to collect the medical boot to protect her broken ankle during the night.
At Forfar Sheriff Court Nikoy, of Panmure Place, Montrose was found guilty after trial of being in charge of a vehicle in the Angus town’s Melville Road on September 15 last year with a breath alcohol reading of 89 microgrammes. The legal limit is 22 mics.
Giving evidence, Nikoy told the court how she was “weaning herself off” wearing the moonboot, provided to protect the ankle she broke in July.
She said she had returned home and then began drinking wine, estimating she had six glasses and said that was “one and a half bottles, maybe more”.
Nikoy said she had decided to sit in her car “for a minute” when she got to the vehicle to collect the moonboot and told the court she turned the engine and heater on because “it was kind of chilly”.
She said she had put her seatbelt on “out of habit”.
“I had no intention of driving the car home that night. It was a stupid thing to do to sit in the car when I think about it now,” Nikoy said in evidence.
“My intention was to put on my boot and walk home. When the police came I got scared. I know it looked really bad and I was going to be in trouble.”
Finding her guilty of being in charge of the vehicle while under the influence, Sheriff Gregor Murray said that whilst he accepted Nikoy had not intended to drive, that possibility could not have been completely discounted.
He imposed ten penalty points and fined her £750.
