Drink-driver caught in Inverness after row in Grantown
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A grieving property manager travelled north from Yorkshire with his wife to visit a relative and ended up being arrested by police.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that 46-year-old Stuart Joyce, of Monk Vale, Driffield and his partner spent a night in the Ben Mhor Hotel in Grantown on July 30.
At about midnight, the pair had an argument.
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan told Sheriff Gary Aitken that a member of staff helped the distressed woman to the bar and called the police.
Mr McLennan went on: "There was no trace of Stuart Joyce so police put out a look-out request for his vehicle. At 1.20am police traced the car to Inverness and he was pulled over on Culloden Road. He was handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle after a roadside breath test proved positive."
A later reading showed Joyce was almost four times the legal drink-drive limit. He had 78mcgs of alcohol in his system when the maximum allowed is 22mcgs.
Defending, Mhyrin Hill said: "He had suffered a bereavement and was visiting his mother in Inverness. He had been drinking and had an argument with his partner.
"They remain together. There is no history of this behaviour nor has there been a repeat."
Joyce was fined a total of £1190 and banned from driving for a year. However, he can reduce this by 12 weeks if he successfully completes a self-funded drink-drive rehabilitation course.
