A Fife ground worker drove a council van while seven times over the alcohol limit, seemingly without his driving being affected.
Ross Tennant, of Cowley Street in Methil, admitted driving through Glenrothes with an alcohol reading so high, if it had happened in England, there would have been no sentencing guidelines to provide for him.
However, it took an anonymous tip-off from a co-worker for police to have reason to pull over the apparently unaffected 39-year-old over.
He appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing.
‘Normal’ driving despite reading
The court heard at around 2.05pm on February 21, Tennant left work in a Fife Council-insured van, leased from Avis Rental, to attend a medical appointment.
An hour later, he left the Kingdom Centre’s car park and headed towards Church Street.
Police, having been called, stopped him on Leslie Road and could smell alcohol on his breath.
Having followed him, officers noted Tennant’s driving was not impacted by the “staggering” reading of 155 mics of alcohol in 100mls of breath he provided.
Chronic alcohol problem
Fiscal Depute Lee-Anne Hannan said: “The manner of driving did appear to be normal.”
Tennant, who has an analogous conviction from 2004, explained to officers he had last drunk at 3pm.
Solicitor Martin McGuire said: “A reading of this level rarely comes before the court.
“He’s very fortunate his employers are remaining supportive to him.”
At a previous hearing, solicitor David Bell said: “Mr Tennant seems to have a pretty chronic problem with alcohol.
“He was in the course of his employment as a ground worker for Fife Council.
“He borrowed a works van to go to a medical appointment.”
‘Significant tolerance of alcohol’
Sentencing him, Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith said the reading was testament to someone with a “significant addiction”.
The sheriff explained usually anyone with a reading that high would be “lying in a coma or asleep”.
He explained Scottish courts routinely look at English sentencing guidance for drink-drivers, but that guidance only goes as high as 150 mics.
“The reading is very high.
“This is a very, very serious case.
“I think I have to accept that, on the basis which I’m told is the manner of the driving was normal, that is a proper mitigating circumstance.
“Clearly for someone to have a reading of 155 mics and drive a car in a quality police consider normal, they must have a significant tolerance of alcohol.”
‘Mind-boggling’ reading
The sheriff continued: “This alcohol record is off the chart for the English sentencing council.
“I’m satisfied that there is an alternative to imprisonment.
“Frankly, the reading you returned to the police is mind-boggling and staggering.
“Clearly the only reason you were able to drive in a manner which was normal, you have a significant addiction to alcohol and a significant problem.”
The sheriff banned Tennant for two years and made him subject to a supervision order for a year.
Tennant must take part in a road traffic group and attend alcohol counselling.
“You run a serious risk of being made subject to a period of imprisonment,” Sheriff Niven-Smith added.
“To put it in stark terms, if you don’t do this, you’ll go to jail.”
