ROAD safety campaigners have criticised the sentence of a two-year supervision order and five-year disqualification imposed on a TV director convicted of drink driving for a fourth time.
The Campaign Against Irresponsible Driving and the Institute of Advance Motorists said yesterday's sentence given to Peter Barber-Fleming, who has worked on productions such as Taggart, Poirot, The Bill and Casualty, was unduly lenient.
The Crown Office later said it was considering appealing the penalty.
The 60-year-old was already disqualified when he got behind the wheel of his Saab 9-3 convertible while three times the legal limit in August this year.
Barber-Fleming, who accepted he had put others at risk with his actions, was recognised by police as a banned driver and stopped at an interchange in Stirling.
At Stirling Sheriff Court, he was fined by Sheriff David Mackie who said he would not be sending him to prison due to Barber-Fleming's ongoing health problems.
Barber-Fleming was also allowed to keep his car, despite the fact he had been driving without insurance or a licence at the time.
When he was sentenced for his last drink driving conviction in March last year, he was ordered to undergo 18 months of alcohol counselling, fined £1000 and banned for five years.
He still would have been undertaking the counselling when he committed the latest offence.
Yesterday Barber-Fleming was sentenced to two years' supervision order, and must undergo further therapy to combat his drink problem.
A new five-year driving ban effectively replaced the previous disqualification.
Margaret Dekker, of Scotland's Campaign Against Irresponsible Driving, said he should at least have had his car confiscated.
She said: "For offenders who repeat like this we would expect there car to be forfeited. For some reason the court seems to be reluctant. We know he has a problem and thank goodness he hasn't killed anyone.
"This is his fourth conviction and we need to look at the example a sentence like this gives out to other offenders.
"It is a lenient sentence. We would have expected the vehicle to be forfeited and for him to receive a short prison sentence."
Peter Roger, from the Institute of Advance Motoring, said: "Drink drivers who re-offend are a real danger to the public, as are people who drink heavily and drive. There is obviously a serious problem."
Sheriff Mackie said it would not help his health if he was sent to prison.
A test revealed the TV director had 98 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35.
When charged, Barber-Fleming, of Dunblane, Perthshire, told officers: "I just wanted to go home." He admitted driving while over the legal alcohol limit and without a licence or insurance.
He also admitted to driving, at the same location and date, with no insurance.
His defence solicitor said he had depression, poor health and had spent two days in hospital after his last hearing, but he sincerely regretted the offence.
A Crown Office spokesman said it will be giving consideration to an appeal of the sentence on the basis that "it may be unduly lenient".
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