Jail for Muir of Ord drink driver

A DRUNK driver who was found unconscious in a house an hour after he crashed his car in Muir of Ord has been jailed for four months.

Dingwall Sheriff Court heard that a witness who saw 39-year-old Kevin Chisholm (39) emerging from the vehicle said he was "barely able to stand".

Chisholm, of Drynie Park, Muir of Ord, had earlier admitted driving with 177 mcgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood which is more than twice the legal limit of 80mcgs.

He also admitted driving carelessly and colliding with a lamp post and failing to report the accident.

Sentence had been deferred for reports.

The court was told yesterday (Thursday) that a night shift manager at the SGL carbon fibre factory in Muir of Ord heard a loud banging noise outside about 2.20am on January 14 went to investigate.

Depute fiscal Heather Swan said the manager had heard the screaming of tyres and when he went outside he found a Vauxhall Corsa car had struck the lamp post. He saw Kevin Chisholm getting out of the vehicle.

The fiscal said the witness was of the view Chisholm was very drunk and "barely able to stand".

Chisholm spoke briefly then walked away and the factory employee contacted the police.

Police investigating the incident went to a house in Muir of Ord where they found Chisholm.

Ms Swan said he had gone to a pal’s and when officers arrived at the house they were taken into the living room by Chisholm’s friend.

"He was described as being unconscious but breathing," said the fiscal.

"As a result he was conveyed to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. At 6.20am he was required to name the driver of the vehicle and said ‘that would be me’."

Ms Swan said police officers then carried out the necessary procedures to take a sample of blood,

Alison Foggo solicitor asked Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen to consider a non-custodial sentence.

She said Chisholm lived with his elderly father and his mother had recently been taken into a nursing home.

Chisholm, she said, was responsible for the family croft looking after the livestock and vegetables.

She said the aggravating matters were his previous convictions in particularly one serious road traffic offence but that was over a decade ago.

Sheriff MacFadyen told Chisholm he had a criminal record and a serious road traffic conviction from 2001.

"I’m astonished you considered it appropriate to consume alcohol then drive," he said. "It was completely foolhardy for someone in your position. It was flagrant disregard of the drink driving laws."

He jailed Chisholm for four months and banned him from driving for five years.