Trio of offences for Inverness man, but no jail time
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An Inverness man who got drunk before he intended committing suicide collided with another car as he drove to the Caledonian Canal.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that 46-year-old Tomasz Sawiki, of Rowan Road, was depressed and wanted to go in the water.
But after the collision, police were called and Sawiki was entirely co-operative, his lawyer Marc Dickson said.
However, Sawiki was breathalysed and it was revealed he was almost seven times the legal limit.
He admitted his third drink-drive conviction within a 10-year period, but escaped a jail sentence.
Instead he was sentenced to 24 months of social work supervision and banned from driving for 40 months.
Mr Dickson said that his client was unfit to work.
Sheriff Sara Matheson told him: “You were at risk of going to jail due to the high reading and your previous record.
“Although the threshold has been passed for a jail sentence, I am persuaded to impose a sentence in the community to assist you with your problems.”
The court heard that Sawiki admitted taking his carer’s Land Rover Freelander on February 5 without the consent of the owner and collided with a vehicle waiting at traffic lights to cross the canal bridge in Telford Street.
Depute fiscal Susan Love said the vehicle’s owner arrived home at about 2pm, parked the vehicle and left the keys on a table.
Later that day the driver of a Vauxhall Astra was waiting for lights to change in Telford Street at the canal bridge when Sawiki struck the rear of his vehicle.
The driver of the Astra observed Sawiki was unsteady on his feet when he got out of the Freelander and the police were contacted.
Sawiki also pleaded guilty to careless driving.
