Alcohol, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Lithuania, Transport

Ramunas Burdulis (30) made the call to the police just before 11pm on November 10, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.

Depute Fiscal Eilidh Robertson said shortly before midnight police on patrol went to the Tesco car park in Eastfield Way following a report of a suspected drunk driver. They found Burdulis in his car with the lights on rummaging around looking for his keys.

"He appeared to be intoxicated and smelled strongly of alcohol," the fiscal added.

Burdulis was taken to Burnett Road police station where he failed to give two samples of his breath for analysis despite being warned of the consequences through an interpreter.

Craig Wood, solicitor said Burdulis, of Albert Road, Leyton, London also had an address in Lithuania and had been in the UK for a year.

He said Burdulis was a shopfitter working in Inverness at the time. "I understand the phone call was made and a short time later he was found in the car park."

Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen told Burdulis that from the information provided it was likely he was very intoxicated through alcohol and by his guilty plea he had accepted it as not unlikely that he would have driven the vehicle.

"All of that indicates there was a likelihood of you driving while over the limit in a busy public car park."

Regardless of the time of night the sheriff said it was a serious matter.

He fined Burdulis, who admitted failing top provide the samples, £600 and disqualified him from driving for nine months.