AN ARGYLL councillor, who was until last week a member of Argyll and Bute Council’s licensing committee, said he is determined to hold on to his seat despite being convicted of drink driving at Oban Sheriff Court this week.
Independent councillor for Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, Gordon Chalmers, who is also the father of two young children, was fined £300 and banned from driving for one year after admitting driving with 115 milligrams of alcohol in 100ml of urine on Main Street, Tobermory on December 1 last year. The legal limit is 107 parts in 100.
The court heard that Chalmers, aged 52, of Raeric Road, Tobermory was stopped at around 5pm by police who noted a strong smell of alcohol.
Defence agent Graham Walker said: ‘He doesn’t put forward the low level being an excuse, but wants to highlight that there is a misconception that if you have a couple of pints you are OK to drive.’
Afterwards, Chalmers, was also told that if he completes a drink drivers rehabilitation scheme he will have his driving ban reduced by one third,
He said: ‘I have been stupid.
‘I have hurt my family and hurt my community — there is no-one more acutely aware of that than myself.
‘People should take a lesson from what happened to me and realise there’s no such thing as a calculated safe level.’
Asked if he has a drink problem, he replied: ‘I have issues that I have to address, that’s why I volunteered for the rehabilitation scheme.
‘I did consider stepping down altogether but thought I would have been further compounding a really stupid mistake.
‘I owe it to the islanders I serve to try and repay the damage rather than try and run and hide.’
