Drink drive motorist ended up trapped in ditch by Grantown and had to call police
A stranded driver who skidded his car into a ditch near Grantown and could not get out phoned the police for help.
But when police arrived at the scene at Tormore on the A95 around 3am on July 22, 2023 to get 37 year old welder Jamie Rundell out of trouble, he got further into trouble after officers asked him if he had been drinking.
Rundell of Mongiel Lane, Larkhall told them he was driving from his work in Buckie back to his home and had a half pint in a local pub before hand.
However Inverness Sheriff Court heard that he was not believed and a breath test showed he had drunk considerably more.
His reading was 69 micrograms of alcohol when the limit is 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Rundell admitted drunk driving and was fined £840.
He was also banned from driving for 16 months but this will be reduced by four months if he successfully completes a drink driver rehabilitation course.
But Rundell's explanation changed when he instructed defence solicitor Patrick O'Dea.
Mr O'Dea told Sheriff Gary Aitken: "He says he was assaulted in the pub and decided to drive to regain his equilibrium as it were and he got lost."
Sheriff Aitken commented: "He is lucky he did not end up dead or kill someone else.
“Why didn't he tell that to the police at the time. And he was driving home from Buckie while over three times the legal alcohol limit?"
Then he addressed Rundell, saying: "This was an exceedingly poor decision by you and you are fortunate you just ended up in a ditch and not a hospital."
