Courts in Moray:- Buckie 'drink driver' allowed to keep licence
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A man who got in a car after drunkenly groping a woman at a night club has kept his licence.
Alexandru Cocichin made sexual advances to the woman in Purple Night Club in Buckie on October 8 last year.
After being rebuffed the 40-year-old went outside and climbed into his car.
Cocichin was subsequently breathalysed by the police and found to be five times over the limit.
Ordinarily, drink driving leads to a minimum 12-month ban.
However, Elgin Sheriff Court heard yesterday that although the Moldovan national was technically 'in charge' of the vehicle he had not driven it anywhere.
The court also heard that, since committing the offence, Cocichin had obtained a driving job and regularly sent back £160 each week to his family in Eastern Europe.
Cocichin, whose address was given in court papers as Cluny Square, Buckie, was placed under the supervision of social workers for the next 18 months.
In addition, he was ordered to do 225 hours of unpaid work for the community within the next year.
However Cocichin was allowed to keep his driving licence by Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov who gave him ten penalty points – two short of a ban.
