Driving ban for stressed army veteran from Nairn

A FORMER soldier who served in Aden and Northern Ireland has been fined and banned from driving after admitting being drunk in charge of a vehicle in a shop car park.

Solicitor John MacColl told Inverness Sheriff Court that John Gallagher (71), of Harbour Street, Nairn, had suffered from combat stress since coming out of the army.

“He was in the army until the 1970s, serving in Aden and Northern Ireland,” he said. “He didn’t receive a huge amount of support.”

He said Gallagher used alcohol as a coping mechanism and had more recently sought help for both physical and mental health difficulties which he should have been getting in the 70s and 80s.

Gallagher admitted being in charge of a vehicle on Forres Road, Nairn, on July 6 with a reading of 79mcgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath – more than three times the legal limit.

Mr MacColl said it was a serious matter given the fact he had two previous drink-drive related convictions.

Depute fiscal Niall Macdonald had told the court police had been alerted to the offence due to concerns raised by the public.

“By the time they got to the vehicle he was no longer in it,” he said. “He was in a shop in possession of the car keys very close by and admitted being in charge of the vehicle. He indicated he had been suffering from a panic attack.”

Sheriff David Sutherland fined Gallagher £500 and banned him from driving for 16 months.