Man wouldn’t tell police who was driving car

Brian Conroy, 39, pleaded guilty to the offence which happened in Innerleithen on April 29 last year.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that Conroy and another man had consumed a number of drinks in the Vale of Leithen Social Club and then left the premises and witnesses believed they had driven off.

The police were alerted and managed to trace the vehicle at around 9.15pm in the car park of the Co-op store in Innerleithen.

Drew Long, prosecuting, formed the view Conroy had been driving the vehicle, but in response to being asked who was driving the vehicle as he was the registered keeper, he replied: “It was not me.”

He added that Conroy would not identify the driver of the vehicle.

Not guilty pleas to failing to provide a specimen of breath and failing to comply with a preliminary test were accepted by the Crown.

Conroy's lawyer said her client accepted the consequences of his actions would lead to a period of disqualification from driving.

Sheriff Mungo Bovey told Conroy: “As a result of your conduct here it is clear somebody engaged in drink driving escaped prosecution and this has serious consequences for you."

Conroy, who gave an address in Glasgow, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £900.