Inverness man banned from the road and jailed

An Inverness man who was convicted of being seven times the legal drink driving limit was caught by police less than two weeks later of having six times the permitted amount of booze in his system.

Published 14th Apr 2016

An Inverness man who was convicted of being seven times the legal drink driving limit was caught by police less than two weeks later of having six times the permitted amount of booze in his system.

Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, 50 year old Gary Hutchison was jailed for six months and banned from driving for five years.

He appeared before Sheriff Margaret Neilson after earlier being remanded in custody and admitted driving with excess alcohol, driving while disqualified and without insurance on February 23 this year.

The court was told that Hutchison had been found guilty on February 10, 2016 of being drunk in charge of his vehicle in a car park outside his home on August 3 last year.

He was seven times over the limit when officers found him at the wheel revving the engine.

But 13 days later, Sheriff Margaret Neilson heard police received a report that a disqualified driver was at the wheel of a car and a mobile patrol saw Hutchison driving from Millburn Road into Direbught Road and on to Millburn Court where he was stopped.

He was breathalysed and the reading was nearly six times over the limit. Hutchison also admitted two previous convictions for similar offences - one in January 2007 and another in December 2008.

Defence solicitor,Marc Dickson said his client had made the short journey to a supermarket and he was on his return journey when seen by police.

"He suffered depression and became alcohol dependant when he lost his employment."

Sheriff Margaret Neilson imprisoned Hutchsion for the February 23 offences.

However she deferred sentence until August 18 after his release for good behaviour and a background report for the drunk in charge offence.