Culbokie woman gets three-year ban after second drink-driving offence

A 56-year-old Ross-shire chef who admitted her second drink-drive conviction in little over a year has been banned from the roads for three years.

Marina Khotkina of Raven Croft, Culbokie was also ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community work and remain under social work supervision for 18 months.

Khotkina had pleaded guilty at Inverness Sheriff Court to driving with over four times the legal limit of alcohol in her system.

The offence occurred at her home on March 21 this year, just two weeks after she had been dealt with for her first offence. Her reading was 91mcgs when the limit is 22mcgs.

On February 25 last year, Khotkina was caught by police in Beauly and on that occasion her reading was higher at 126mcgs.

She was subsequently sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 18 months on March 7 at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Khotkina also pleaded guilty to driving with no insurance and driving while disqualified.

She told police she had only driven a few metres to charge the vehicle's battery.

Defence solicitor Duncan Henderson told the court: "Her partner died and she is struggling."

The prosecution had previously seized Khotkina's car and asked the sheriff to forfeit the vehicle at sentencing.

However fiscal depute Shay Traynor told Sheriff Gary Aitken that the car was still subject to finance and he withdrew a forfeiture motion.

Sheriff Aitken ordered that the car be released back to Khotkina.