Fife woman fined £400 for drink-driving and banned for 12 months

A Fife woman who admitted drink-driving has been fined £400 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
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Hilda Dow, of Kenilworth Terrace, Lochore, Lochgelly appeared before Sheriff James Williamson at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

Dow, 58, admitted on February 13, 2021 on the B921 Kinglassie road she drove a car after consuming so much alcohol the proportion of it in her breath was 83 micrograms. The legal limit is 22.

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The Procurator Fiscal Depute told the court: “At around 12.30am on the date police on mobile patrol on the B921 Kinglassie road in Fife were driving westbound to Cardenden and were travelling behind the vehicle.

Dow appeared before Sheriff Williamson at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.Dow appeared before Sheriff Williamson at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
Dow appeared before Sheriff Williamson at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

"The accused was driving at a very slow speed and was moving all over the road. She was not staying on her side of the carriageway.

"The vehicle was stopped by officers and the accused was identified as the driver.

"Her speech was slurred and she was unsteady on her feet. She said she had been at her ex-partner’s and had been consuming alcohol that night. When officers asked her when she last had a drink she said she had consumed alcohol an hour before.

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"She was required to take the roadside breath test and there was a positive result. She was arrested and taken to Kirkcaldy Police Station. A second reading taken there showed there were 83 micrograms of alcohol in her breath. She was arrested and charged at around 2am.”

Dow’s defence agent told the court his client had recently broken up with her partner of 30 years resulting in stress and depression: “She had gone to her ex-partner’s to talk and when she woke up she wanted to remove herself from a complex situation. She felt she needed to get out of there which is why she drove home.

"She apologises and knows she should not have got in the car and drove. She is ashamed and appalled at what she has done.”

Sheriff Williamson opted to deal with the case by issuing Dow with a financial penalty. He fined her £400 and disqualified her from driving for a period of 12 months.

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