Suspicious of a vehicle travelling ahead during the early hours of the morning, police stopped the car and the driver was found to be more than twice the alcohol limit.
Rupeni Ragia, 37, of Gladstone Street, Hawick, admitted driving a car on the A7 between Middleton and Galashiels on July 22 with a breath/alcohol reading of 74 mcgs – the legal limit being 35.
“Police noted the vehicle travelling ahead of them at 3.50am on a Sunday morning was being driven in an unsteady manner and was frequently veering over the carriageway,” explained depute procurator fiscal Tessa Bradley, adding: “It was pulled into a layby and they found the driver unsteady on his feet and smelling strongly of alcohol.”
Defence solicitor Ed Hulme said his client, who has an analogous conviction, recognised he had an alcohol problem which he was keen to address.
Ragia was placed on a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 80 hours of unpaid work and attends an alcohol programme. He was also banned from driving for four years.