Devastated by the news that his mother had been taken seriously ill, a Lewis man embarked on a 1,400-mile emergency dash to be at her side.
Unfortunately, Scott Cormack only managed to travel around 225 miles before being pulled over by police officers. Perth Sheriff Court heard that his driving had left other motorists so alarmed that they had called 999.
At around 8.20pm on March 17, officers discovered the 49-year-old parked in a layby next to the A9, near Luncarty.
When they spoke to him, they detected a strong smell of alcohol. After failing a roadside breath test, he was arrested and taken to divisional headquarters, where it was revealed that he was almost three times the legal limit.
Defence solicitor Billy Somerville told the court hat his client had received a telephone call earlier that day from his brother in the south of France, advising him that their mother had been rushed to hospital.
Desperate to check on her, Cormack tried to book a flight from Stornoway, but none were available, so he decided to drive to Edinburgh Airport instead.
Mr Somerville added: “He tried to contact his relatives for an update, but couldn’t get hold of them.
“He was fully expecting to get bad news and accepts that he is someone who is a recovering alcoholic. He purchased some alcohol, which he consumed immediately and then carried on driving.”
Cormack, of School Road, Vatisker, Isle of Lewis, admitted that on March 17, on the A9, he drove with excess alcohol (96 mic). The legal limit is 35 mic.
He was fined £400 and disqualified from driving for five years.