A Fife businessman who drove at twice the drink-drive limit and crashed into a parked car said he had just learned his mother had died suddenly abroad.
Mohammed Iqbal was rushing to make arrangements to repatriate her body to the UK due to religious time constraints.
In some religions, such as Judaism and Islam, bodies must be buried as soon as possible after death.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the 45-year-old had not intended to drive until the tragic news.
Fiscal depute Mat Piskorz said: “It was 8.40pm and the witness was within his home address when he heard a loud bang outside.
“He looked out of his living room window and saw his BMW was no longer situated in its usual position.
“He attended at his front door and observed it had been collided with and pushed down the road.”
Iqbal’s Range Rover Sport was stopped nearby, with the accused at the wheel. The witness called police.
The BMW was said to have suffered “significant” damage.
‘Time was of the essence’
Iqbal, of Adelaide Road, Kirkcaldy, admitted driving with excess alcohol (56/ 22mics) on the town’s Dolhan Road on January 8.
Solicitor David Cranston, defending, said Iqbal had had two “house measures” of vodka before receiving news of his mother’s death.
He said: “He had gone to friends to have a few drinks, with no intention of driving.
“He had a couple of house measures of vodka and got a text message from his brother to say his mother, who was in Saudi Arabia with his brother, had died quite suddenly.”
He said in his distress Iqbal had got in his car as he was keen to arrange repatriation.
Mr Cranston added: “Because of his religion, time was of the essence“.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith banned Iqbal from the roads for 12 months and fined him £1,000.
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