A boozed-up motorist who drove while almost nine times over the limit has avoided a jail sentence.
Alan Downie’s reading was 186 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being just 22 microgrammes.
A sheriff told him: “This is one of the highest readings that has come before this court, certainly before me.”
He previously admitted the offence when he appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Downie, 50, of Pitcorthie Drive, Dunfermline, admitted that on November 24 on the A921 Burntisland to Aberdour road, he drove a car having consumed excess alcohol.
The court was told then that Downie had hit the drink after a “traumatic week”.
He had gone to visit a male relative in a care home and found him dead.
Defence agent James Moncrieff said his client was a first offender.
The solicitor told the court Downie did not normally drink but had endured a “traumatic week” involving the death of a relative.
“Foolish decisions were made thereafter,” added Mr Moncrieff.
When Downie returned to court for sentencing on Wednesday, his solicitor, Chris Sneddon, appealed for him not to be sent to jail, despite the reading.
He said his client had been under “a huge amount of pressure” at the time because of family difficulties.
These also included his wife being diagnosed with a serious illness.
“As a result he was consuming more alcohol than normal at that time.”
Mr Sneddon said his client was deemed unsuitable for unpaid work because of his “difficulty in interacting with people”.
The solicitor added, “He’s extremely concerned about the outcome of today’s case and I believe he is not somebody who will be appearing before this court again.”
Sheriff Craig McSherry said: “This is one of the highest readings that has come before this court, certainly before me.”
However, he said that given Downie was a first offender and the circumstances of the case, he would impose an alternative to jail.
Downie was put on a community payback order with 12 months’ supervision, placed on a four-month restriction of liberty order and disqualified from driving for two years.
