A former international athlete caused a terrifying high speed smash on the A9, three hours after downing a bottle of gin.
Physiotherapist Eleri Brown, who has represented her country in running events, motored down the Perthshire trunk road while nearly five times the legal limit.
She rear-ended another car, sending it rolling across the carriageway.
The car’s passenger David Nicholson was left with multiple injuries, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
Mum-of-two Brown smiled when police approached, before staggering out of her SEAT Leon to let her pet Labrador out of the boot.
The 51-year-old, from Larbert, appeared in the dock and pled guilty to driving dangerously and with excess alcohol (246/ 50mgs) on January 13 last year.
Didn’t brake before collision
The crash happened near the Luncarty slip road.
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told the court a witness in an SUV was travelling north on the A9 just after 12pm.
“It was set to cruise control and doing between 50 and 60mph.
“It was overtaken by a smaller black car, driven by witness Emma Nicholson, travelling at about 65mph.
“It was about four or five car lengths ahead when a second black car, a Seat Leon driven by the accused, drove past at a speed of about 75-80mph.
“It collided with the rear of Ms Nicholson’s car.”
Mr Kermode said: “The accused’s car did not brake prior to the collision.
“Ms Nicholson’s car began to spin, before turning onto its side and rolling over.
“It came to a rest on all four wheels.”
Smiled at officers
Brown’s car came to a halt after smashing into a roadside barrier.
“When police arrived they noticed there was a black Labrador in the boot of the accused’s car,” the prosecutor said.
“The car was wedged against a crash barrier.
“A police officer reached inside and removed the keys from the ignition.
“He asked the accused if she was injured. She smiled and said she was ‘fine’.
“When asked how the collision occurred, she stated that she couldn’t remember.”
Mr Kermode said: “Police detected a smell of alcohol from the accused, who appeared to be under the influence and had glazed eyes.
“She confirmed that she had been drinking.
“She said she had consumed a bottle of gin through the night and had stopped drinking about three hours earlier.”
Brown got out of the car to check on her dog and the fiscal said she appeared unsteady on her feet.
Brown, who was unhurt, failed a roadside breath test and was taken to Ninewells as a precaution and gave a blood-alcohol reading nearly five times the legal limit.
Accused has ‘faced her demons’
Mr Nicholson had a fractured collarbone, a chest wall compression injury, severely bruised ribs and a laceration to his left hand.
Ms Nicholson suffered whiplash.
A solicitor for Brown told the court: “She accepts absolutely the serious nature of this event and accepts absolute responsibility for that.
“There is an underlying cause which has been effectively been masked by her participating in physical activity – to the extent that she represented her country.”
He said: “This was not caused by Covid but that did bring underlying factors to the surface.
“She was denied the opportunity of coping with that background via physical activity… and that caused a problem.”
The court heard said she had since “faced her demons.”
The solicitor said: “The ironic thing is that she was going away that day to be by herself and reflect on her situation.”
Her behaviour was “completely out of character,” he said.
Sheriff Sheena Fraser told Brown, of Young Crescent, she had taken “positive steps” since the crash.
She ordered her to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and disqualified her from driving for 16 months.
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