Coatbridge taxi driver six times over the alcohol limit when involved in crashhttps://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/loca ... s-14089429Neil Smith was driving his private hire when he collided with a parked vehicle.A Coatbridge taxi driver was six times over the drink-drive limit when he was involved in a crash on a residential street.
A concerned resident whose parked vehicle was damaged called the police, suspecting Neil Smith was under the influence.
It wasn’t made clear in court if the Kintyre Drive resident was working at the time of the offence, although it was his private hire vehicle that was involved.
Smith, 50, was put under supervision for six months when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week.
Sheriff Linda Nicolson also ordered him to do 80 hours of unpaid community work and banned him from driving for 20 months.
Smith admitted having a breath/alcohol reading of 131 when driving in Motherwell on January 15. The legal limit is 22.
Following the court case, Smith faces the prospect of losing his private hire licence, as the matter was referred to a meeting of North Lanarkshire Council’s regulatory committee.
Mohammed Sarwar, prosecuting, said Smith’s taxi collided with a parked vehicle about 5.30pm.
He told the court: “The accused went to see the owner and this person was suspicious that Smith was under the influence of alcohol.
“The police were contacted and officers who attended carried out a roadside breath test. Smith was then arrested.”
Smith spent a night in custody before appearing in court to plead guilty to the charge.
He was bailed ahead of this week’s sentencing hearing.
Login
Register
FAQ
