Inverness dentist given jail warning after car ends up in hotel's flower bed
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A dentist was warned she would be jailed if she was ever back in court on her fourth drink-driving related offence.
Mother-of-two Samantha Mackay, of Castlehill Gardens, Inverness appeared before Sheriff Gary Aitken to admit being drunk in charge of her vehicle on December 29, 2022.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Mackay (47) had two previous convictions in 2009 and 2012 for drink-driving – one which involved her drinking a bottle of wine in her car.
In the latest offence, she was not driving at the time as she had drank from a bottle of Baileys she had in the vehicle.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver said that she had driven into a flower bed at the Loch Ness Country House Hotel on the outskirts of Inverness.
"She contacted her partner to say her car was stuck," she said. "He advised his sister and both went to the hotel."
Ms Silver said that Mackay's speech was slurred and when they couldn't move the car, she was taken home by her partner.
However, the sister told the police of her suspicion that Mackay had been drinking and officers went to her home.
A breath test revealed she was three times the limit with a reading of 66mcgs of alcohol in her system when the permitted amount is 22mcgs.
Defence solicitor John MacColl said: "She did have a problem with alcohol and this was unfortunately a relapse.
"There are two previous convictions in 2009 and 2012 but after those difficulties matters progressed on an even keel.
"She had been at a conference at a nearby hotel but got lost. She had not consumed alcohol prior to driving, and the hotel was closed. But she had a bottle of Baileys in the car."
Mr MacColl said that his client's driving licence had been revoked by the DVLA as a result of the incident and she was moving to a new job in Orkney.
"I hope this will be her last appearance before the court," he added.
Fining Mackay £1675 and endorsing any licence she may hold in the future with 10 penalty points, Sheriff Aitken told her: "If she does come back as a result of a combination of alcohol and a vehicle, she will be jailed."
Addressing Mackay, the sheriff added: "There is never a problem in your life that will be made better by the consumption of a bottle of Baileys.
"Any road traffic offence will take you over the threshold and you will be banned under the totting-up procedure. But the DVLA may decide that you are not a fit person to be on the road."
