A man who lost control of his car and drove into a tree near Arbroath has been allowed to keep his licence. George Simpson was over four times the legal limit when he was found asleep at the wheel of his crashed car by police officers.
The charge of drink driving carries a minimum 12 month disqualification, but despite a previous drink driving conviction sheriff Pino Di Emidio allowed Simpson to plead guilty to being drunk in charge of a car, a lesser charge allowing him to keep his licence with a 10 point penalty. Simpson was also fined £2000.
In light of yesterday’s news of the sentencing of a repeat drink-driving offender who went on to kill, the leniency afforded to a repeat drink-driver, especially with such a level of intoxication, raises significant concerns.