A TOP police chief has branded the actions of two motorists who got behind the wheel while more than four times the limit as “beyond belief”.
Head of road policing, Chief Inspector Sandy Bowman, described the actions of Duncan Williamson and Colin Smith as “totally reckless”.
The pair appeared at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday on separate charges and received a combined sentence of 14 months’ imprisonment and a ban totalling 11 years.
The worst offender was 24-year-old Williamson, who stole a van and drove while five times over the legal limit, before colliding with a car carrying a mother and her three young children.
He took the vehicle, which had been left unattended by its owner, from Hatton Road and sped along nearby Manse Road, clipping a kerb and causing it to flip on to its side.
It continued to slide along the road and hit a stationary car, pushing it six metres from its parking place, leaving its occupants shocked and shaken.
Witnesses watched as Williamson, of Haugh Gate Street, Leven, clambered from the van and described his condition as being “between dazed and intoxicated”.
Solicitor David Bell told the court his client had been out drinking in Perth with friends the night before and had “got lost”.
After sleeping rough, he decided to make his way back home to Fife and helped himself to the van after spotting it idling at the side of the road.
Williamson admitted that on November 19, he took a van without consent and drove it without insurance, with a provisional licence and with excess alcohol (169 mics). The legal limit is 35 mics.
He also admitted that, on the same day, he drove dangerously at excess speeds and lost control of the van.
Jailing him for 10 months and disqualifying him from driving for five and half years, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis slammed his actions, telling the accused they could have had tragic consequences.
“Thankfully, as a result of your driving and although an accident occurs, the lady and three children are not injured,” he said.
“It could so easily have turned out differently and you would have been up in the High Court facing a significant period in custody.”
Also facing jail time for driving while under the influence was lorry driver Colin Smith, of Millhall Court in Airdrie.
The 52-year-old left Sheriff Lindsay Foulis stunned after admitting driving his 38-tonne truck on one of Scotland’s major roads while four times the legal limit following a heavy night drinking.
Concerned motorists travelling along the M90 contacted police about the accused’s driving and he was traced just before 9pm on October 16 near to Junction 9 at Kinross.
Officers detected a “strong smell of alcohol” coming from Smith and a subsequent breath test revealed a reading of 146 mics.
Smith was jailed for four months and banned from driving for five and a half years.
Condemning the actions of both men, Mr Bowman said: “These drivers made a conscious decision to drive while seriously under the influence of alcohol.
“These are among some of the highest readings I’ve seen and the fact one involved driving a large goods vehicle on a road with the national speed limit makes it worse.
“These things should be beyond belief but, unfortunately, experience has shown that people do continue to flout the law.
“The circumstances of these offences can only be described as totally reckless, with a complete disregard for everyone’s safety.”
Campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake, Franki Hackett, added: “It is shocking that some drivers continue to take appalling risks flouting drink-drive laws.
“Drinking and driving is incredibly dangerous even one drink impairs driving significantly enough to increase crash risk.”
sgray@thecourier.co.uk