54-year-old found drunk in charge of car parked outside Hawick police station

Piotr Szalek, of Hawick’s Scott Crescent, pleaded guilty to having a breath-alcohol count of 67 microgrammes, the legal limit being 22, when found in the driver’s seat of the car on December 14.

Depute fiscal Claire Nicholls told Jedburgh Sheriff Court that the police had received an anonymous call at around 9.40pm about a silver car being driven erratically but they could not initially track it down.

Officers noticed soon afterwards that the vehicle they were looking for was in the police station car park, however.

Szalek was found to be alseep in the driver’s seat with the engine running and a window open.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said his client, a Polish national, had not been driving but had merely accompanied a friend to the police station to report a lost mobile phone.

He added that the engine was on only so he could keep warm.

Mr Hulme asked sheriff Peter Paterson to use his discretion and not impose a driving ban and instead issue 10 penalty points.

After weighing up the circumstances, though, Mr Paterson decided to ban Szalek from driving for 12 months.