Pensioner fell asleep at wheel

No ban for hitting house and car

considered very carefully whether to disqualify you.

“You had some advance notice of your condition and you did not take steps to deal with it properly.

“You have taken steps to change your thyroid treatment. I’m content I don’t need to disqualify you, but I’m imposing nine points to put you on a knife edge.”

Dunlop was driving through Milnathort at lunchtime when he nodded off and veered across the road ricocheting the parked car onto the pavement.

The pensioner hit the parked Volkswagen Polo so hard that it was shunted more than 30 feet along the road after hitting the house.

Fiscal depute Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court: “The car was parked against the kerb, directly outside 86 South Street in Milnathort. It was undamaged.

“At 1.45pm on 22 December 2017 the accused was travelling south along South Street. A short time later he fell asleep, causing him to lose control of his car.

“The car veered across the oncoming carriageway and collided with the parked car. The impact pushed the car onto the pavement, across the pavement and into the corner wall of 86 South Street.

“The car was pushed further down the street and came to rest on the wall of an adjacent property. The occupier of the property heard a loud bang.

“They went out onto the pavement and were able to see what had occurred. He contacted the police and an ambulance.”

Miss Whyte told the court that the police arrived ten minutes later and took a breath sample from Dunlop, which showed he had zero alcohol in his system.

“Officers could see from the marks on the road that the distance the car had been pushed was 34 feet,” she told the court.

“The accused told police officers he had fallen asleep. He was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary but released the following day. He was cautioned and charged and made no reply.”