A drink-driver twice the legal limit was caught by police after picking up his lost partner on Mull.
Joseph Sharples, 28, of 2 Townhead Lane, Austwick, in Yorkshire, appeared at Oban Sheriff Court pleading guilty to drink-driving on the B8073 west of Tobermory on October 14 this year.
When police tested him he had 44 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
The chef, who had no previous convictions and had a clean licence, was disqualified from driving for 12 months which will be reduced by a quarter if he successfully completes a drink driver rehabilitation course. He was also fined £600 and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge.
On Wednesday November 1, the court heard that Sharples and his partner were holidaying on the island and had been out drinking for the evening before getting a taxi back to the car that they were planning to sleep in. But they had an argument and the taxi driver stopped and ordered them to get out.
They were about three miles from the car at this point and did not walk together. Sharples got back first and after a while became concerned for his partner.
He then got a phone call from a householder who had discovered Sharples’ partner lost and he “very foolishly” went to where his friend was, said defence solicitor Kevin McGuinness.
It was the householder who alerted police after Sharples drove off.
Police traced the car and found the couple asleep in it.
The court heard that Sharples had made the decision to drive to where his partner was when he was under the influence of alcohol but now recognised that the proper course of action should have been to call the police and allow them to deal with it.
Sheriff Euan Cameron told Sharples: “Not only was it incredibly wreckless but it was selfish as well. You exposed innocent members of the public to danger which is unforgiveable.”