A civil engineering contractor faces the sack after being found by police to be nearly seven times the legal drink-drive limit.
Denis Kilcullen, 56, was seen weaving across a shopping centre car park in his blue Mercedes, narrowly missing parked cars, on Christmas Eve last year.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Kilcullen, of Strathbeg Place, Broughty Ferry, was followed by a witness who suspected he was drunk after seeing him leaving Campfield Square car park and driving home.
Fiscal depute Marie Irvine told the court: “Police attended at the house at 2.20pm and saw the vehicle parked there. He was traced there and was seen by officers to be heavily under the influence of alcohol.”
Kilcullen was then taken to police HQ on West Bell Street, where he gave a reading of 149 mics.
“Given the high reading he was kept in custody to appear in court on the complaint on December 27,” the fiscal said.
Solicitor Gary McIlravey said Kilcullen, who has no previous convictions, would lose his job as a consequence.
Mr McIlravey added his client had “an underlying drink problem which had not been addressed” and had self-presented at Tayside Counsel on Alcohol.
“He is on a total abstinence programme with them. This was a wake-up call for him and he has not buried his head in the sand,” the solicitor said.
Kilcullen admitted that on December 24 on Montague Street, Strathmore Street, Nursery Road, Balgillo Road, Edzell Street and Dunshelt Road, he drove with excess alcohol in his blood.
Sheriff George Way told Kilcullen: “The consequences of this will be very significant for you in terms of your employment and your ability to earn. It was a very, very high reading, but you are not a boy racer.”
The sheriff fined him £500 and disqualified him from driving for 30 months.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.