Forfar man caught drink-driving days after crashing his van

Neil Brown was already banned when picked up by police in Dundee

A banned Angus motorist who crashed his van on Christmas Day was picked up for drink-driving by Dundee police a fortnight later, a court heard.

Neil Brown, from Forfar, hit a barrier and drove off the A90 outside Dundee on December 25 2015, leaving the scene before passers-by came to help.

Forfar Sheriff Court heard the 29-year-old was cautioned by police when collecting his vehicle three days later.

Brown, who has a previous drinkdriving conviction and did not have a licence, was then pulled over by police in Dundee on January 9 2016.

Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said police took the van off the road at Powrie Brae when no one came forward to claim it.

“At around 11.30pm on the evening in question, civilian witnesses were travelling north at the locus and saw the van driven by the accused,” he said.

“It was repeatedly swerving across the roadway, driving erratically until it hit the barrier and went off the road.

“These witnesses stopped shortly after at a nearby bus stop and went to provide assistance. However, there was no one in the vehicle at this time.

“On December 28 the accused attended the police headquarters about the return of his vehicle.”

Mr Duncan said the accused gave a urine sample with twice the legal amount of alcohol after being picked up by police on Myrekirk Road on January 9.

“At 12.30am officers were on patrol and saw the accused driving, he was stopped due to the manner of his driving.”

A roadside breath test proved positive and he was taken back to Dundee’s police headquarters on West Bell Street.

“He provided a reasonable excuse why he couldn’t provide a specimen of breath so a urine sample was taken,” Mr Duncan added.

“There was a certificate of insurance on the vehicle but the accused was not named on it, and he intimated to officers he was not in possession of a driving licence.”

Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said: deferred sentence to May 18, and Brown was banned in the interim.

Brown, of Queen Street, admitted drink-driving on the A90 at Powrie Brae without motor insurance on December 25 2015, and driving under the influence of alcohol and without a licence on Myrekirk Road, Dundee, on January 9 2016.

It was repeatedly swerving across the roadway, driving erratically until it hit the barrier and went off the road. STEWART DUNCAN DEPUTE FISCAL