A MOTORIST was found to be almost three times the drink-drive limit after a McDonald’s worker spotted he had “glazed eyes and slurred speech”.

Calum Hoggan had gone to the McDonald’s restaurant drive-thru at Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh, on February 10 last year when the employee suspected he had been drinking alcohol.

Police arrived at the drive-thru about half an hour later at about 11pm, where they found Hoggan still in the car park with his car engine running.

The officers spotted that the 27-year-old driver had a male passenger in the front with him and a female passenger in the back seat.

Hoggan, of Rig Street, Aberlady, confessed to the officers that he had consumed alcohol that evening.

He was taken to a nearby police station where he provided a breath test reading of 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg.

He pleaded guilty to the drink-driving offence when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Wednesday.

Dangerous driving

Fiscal depute Matthew Millar also told the court of a second incident when Hoggan caused two people injury by driving his vehicle dangerously six months previously.

On that occasion, Hoggan failed to stop at temporary traffic lights and turned left onto the Capital’s Willowbrae Road at about 1.20am on September 25, 2020.

Mr Millar said that Hoggan failed to observe the red light and a ‘no left turn’ sign by turning onto the street and going on to collide with another vehicle.

The injured parties, Ali Inahatullah and Hannah Kane, had driven their vehicle through a green light signal when they saw Hoggan “heading towards them at speed”.

The court heard that Hoggan “failed to stop” and “eventually collided head on” with the couple’s car.

Hoggan suffered injuries including a broken collar bone and the two witnesses subsequently suffered from aches and pains due to the crash.

Running away

A mobile patrol car was alerted to the crash and, when they arrived at the scene, Hoggan was spotted running away.

He was eventually traced nearby and was arrested and charged.

Solicitor Angela Craig told the court that her client had made “a huge error of judgement” during the drink-drive incident and said he had started “drinking more than he should have” during lockdown.

Sheriff Roderick Flinn said that Hoggan had been guilty of an “appalling piece of driving” when he injured the two witnesses and handed him a total road ban of 15 months

The sheriff also said he must pay a total fine of £590 to mark the offences.

Hoggan pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle with 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at Newcraighall Road, Edinburgh, on February 10 last year.

He also admitted driving dangerously and causing damage to two vehicles and injury to two people at Willowbrae Road, Edinburgh, on September 25, 2020.