300 hours unpaid work for driver

A van driver who abandoned his crashed vehicle on the A90 near Dundee was caught for his third drink-drive offence just weeks later, a court heard.

Neil Brown was seen to hit a barrier near Powrie Brae on Christmas Day 2015, but when other concerned motorists stopped to help they found the vehicle empty.

On January 9 Brown, of Menzies Way, Falkirk, was then pulled over by traffic police in Dundee’s Myrekirk Road and found to be driving at more than twice the legal limit and without a licence after it was previously revoked.

Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said the Christmas Day offence happened around 11.30pm and after Brown’s van was recovered he then contacted police to arrange its return and admitted he had been driving.

The drink-drive offence happened around 12.30am, when traffic officers’ attention was drawn to the accused’s Volkswagen due to the way it was being driven.

Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said 29-year-old Brown, a selfemployed block paver, had not driven since the offences but accepted they were serious in light of his previous record.

Sheriff Alison McKay imposed a community payback order with the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified the accused for four years.

“This is your third analogous offence and you should understand that there is an issue of public safety.”