A gamekeeper who got behind the wheel while more than five times the legal drink drive limit claimed he was moving his car to a safer location.
David Carnegie was found to have 115mics of alcohol in his system, compared to the limit of 22.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Carnegie had intended to move his vehicle a short distance from his home on Comrie’s Field of Refuge to a nearby car park.
However the “ill-judged move” caught the attention of police officers, who breathalysed him.
Yesterday the 46-year-old was banned from the roads for more than a year.
Depute fiscal Michael Sweeney told the court: “The accused came to the attention of police officers at about 7.45pm. He was stopped by them and they carried out a roadside breath test, which was positive.”
Solicitor Louise Wade, defending, said Carnegie was less worried by the potential loss of his driving licence and more concerned with the effect a conviction would have on his shotgun licence.
She said: “He lives at the locus with his wife. They are not very big drinkers but on this occasion had been having a number of drinks.
“They had been shopping and stopped the car outside the house to unload.
“He decided , rather stupidly, to move his vehicle from outside the house to a car parking area nearby and wasn’t intending to move it any further.
“He felt it was a safer location. It was a spur of the moment decision. It was an ill-judged move.
“He is a gamekeeper and his main concern is his shotgun licence…police have taken them away and he is trying to get them back.”
Carnegie admitted driving while under the influence on Filed of Refuge, Comrie, on February 25 this year.
Sheriff Derek Reekie said he was “sceptical” of Carnegie’s reasons for driving.
He said: “This was not a morning after offence and you must have known you were unfit to drive.”
He disqualified Carnegie for 14 months and fined him £600.
