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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Gordon Currie & Sam Elliott-Gibbs

Woman banned for drink driving in pyjamas and Crocs caught SIX times over limit

A woman banned for drink driving was caught behind the wheel nearly six times over the limit - then turned up at court wearing in her pyjamas and Crocs.

Stephanie Gellatly, 52, has been banned from driving for 50 months, placed under social work supervision for two years and ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work in the community.

She admitted driving her Vauxhall Corsa in Alyth, Perthshire, while she was over the legal alcohol limit on May 15 last year.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that police arrived at the scene and discovered that Gellatly's car had struck a fence and she was clearly under the influence.

In January 2019, she appeared in the dock at the same court wearing pyjama bottoms and a pair of Croc shoes.

She was banned from driving for 50 months at Perth Sheriff Court after she admitted her second offence (Perthshire Advertiser)

She was banned for 16 months and fined £600 on that occasion after the court was told she gave a roadside reading of nearly seven times the legal limit.

The court was told Gellatly had been seen swerving across into the oncoming carriageway and back onto the verge before coming to a complete standstill in the centre of the road.

A following motorist had been so concerned about her condition that she removed the keys from the ignition of Gellatly's car and waited for the police to arrive.

Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: "She takes full responsibility for this offence and does not make any attempt to justify or minimise it. She acted impulsively and is extremely ashamed and embarrassed to find herself in court.

"She is very aware of what could have happened. Thankfully nothing happened, but she is well aware that this could have been much worse than it was."

Sheriff Gillian Wade told Gellatly: "You have issues, but the way to deal with them is not to drink copious amounts of alcohol and drive on public roads where you constituted a danger to other people."

Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney said that when she was breathalysed shortly after 7pm at the roadside her reading was 146 mics - compared to the legal limit of just 22 mics.

He said: "A witness was driving with her young children on the B954 Newtyle to Meigle road at 7.15 pm when they saw the accused's vehicle swerving all over the road.

"It was swerving into the oncoming carriageway and onto the grass verge. She was described as slowing down and speeding up and then she suddenly stopped in the middle of the carriageway.

"The vehicle with the young family in it was directly behind. The accused got out of her car and the witness got out and asked if she was OK.

"She could smell alcohol and took the decision to take hold of the car keys and remove them until the police arrived.

"Police arrived and she gave a roadside breath test of 146 mics at 7.45 pm."

Mr Sweeney said the officers arrested her and then took her to Dundee police office to formally process her. By the time she gave a formal breath test at 9.30 pm her reading had dropped to 106 mics.

Gellatly, Coupar Angus Road, Muirhead, Angus, admitted drink driving with a reading of 106 mics on 20 December 2018.

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