Drink-driver who smashed into Burgh Road cars gets heavy fine

A man who admitted crashing into two parked cars while drunk, before leaving the scene, has been given a heavy fine at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

Lee Millar, from Dundee, pleaded guilty to hitting the vehicles while unfit through drink or drugs in Lerwick’s Burgh Road on 6th August 2023.

He also admitted failing to report the incident to police, or leaving a note for the other drivers.

The court heard the 42-year-old had been described as “wobbling” and “very obviously drunk” in the early hours of the morning by a witness.

She said Millar was revving the engine of his pick-up “quite harshly”, and later she heard “a number of loud bangs” from her home address.

After the crashes, two other witnesses opened his door and detected “a strong smell of alcohol” from him.

Millar stumbled out of the vehicle and disappeared from view.

When police traced him much later in the day they decided there was no longer any point in breathalysing him.

But Millar admitted he had been drink-driving at the time, and defence agent Tommy Allan described it as “a moment of madness” from him.

Mr Allan said Millar had stopped drinking since.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined Millar a total of £1,300 and banned him from driving for 16 months.

That can be reduced to 12 months if he completes the drink-driving awareness course.