Motorist who drank father's home brew crashed car into bridge

Guilty: Michelle Garrow had been drinking homebrew before the incident.Gary Cruden

A woman has been banned from the road after crashing her car into a bridge while more than three-times the drink-drive limit.

Michelle Garrow, of Mile-end Avenue, Aberdeen, had been drinking home brew on March 7 when the incident took place, Stonehaven Sheriff Court was told on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old property manager crashed on the Forest O’Birse Road, at Finzean, near Banchory, Aberdeenshire.

The procurator fiscal depute said: “It was around 4.30pm when a witness was walking on the road and saw the accused driving past her staring out the window not concentrating. Seconds later the accused collided with a bridge.”

Police officers were called to the scene and discovered the car with “significant” damage to the front and the airbag deployed. The car was later declared a write-off.

However, the accused had left the scene but, after talking to a local farmer, officers were able to track her down nearby where she was said to be "disorientated and distressed".

Paramedics were called the scene and Garrow was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where a blood sample was taken.

Officer found that there was 252mcg in 100ml of Garrow’s blood - the legal limit is 80mcg.

Garrow’s defence agent told Stonehaven Sheriff Court that her client had a row with her father and made the “irrational decision” to get behind the wheel and leave.

Her defence agent said she had been sampling her father’s home brew and was unaware of the strength but refuted suggestions Garrow had an alcohol problem.

Sheriff Val Johnstone said: “At first site when looked at this very, very high reading it made me look at the question of imprisonment.”

She said, however, that Garrow would instead be banned from the roads for two years and fined £700. The sentence may be reduced by six months if Garrow undertakes a drink-drivers rehabilitation course.

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