Larbert mum-of-three causes four-car smash while six times over the drink drive limit

Lindsay Johnston (34) was more than six times the legal drink driving limit when she turned into a side street in Stenhousemuir at 1.25pm and drove headlong into a “bottleneck” of traffic.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court today, Johnston, Hillary Road, Larbert, had already admitted careless driving and drink driving offences she committed on September 22. She gave a reading of 139 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Prosector Ashley Smith said there was “a bottleneck of traffic” and a car had stopped to let another vehicle through. Johnston did not see the stopped vehicle until it was too late.

Miss Smith added: “She collided with the rear of the stationary car, and pushed it into the rear of a car in front of that, which was also waiting in the traffic. Then she crossed the carriageway and collided with a third car coming the other way.”

The court heard police were called and “detected a smell of alcohol” from Johnston.

Defence solicitor Robert Smith said his client had been on her way to pick up her two oldest children, who had been seeing their father, from a centre where that had been taking place.

He said: “She had been drinking the night before and had consumed considerable quantities of vodka. She had intended to take a taxi but was running late.

“She thought she was all right to drive. It’s difficult to understand how. There was a log-jam of traffic and she noticed it too late.”

He said the incident had been “a wake-up call” for Johnston, who was now attending an alcohol counselling service.

He added that her car, a 13-year-old Renault Scenic Dynamique said to be worth £1200, was written off in the pile-up.

Sheriff John Mundy said: “She was almost seven times the limit – we’re in the territory of considering a custodial sentence.”

He sentenced Johnston to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work within nine months under a community payback order as an alternative to jail, and banned her from driving for three years.