Homemade scooter lands Brechin man driving ban and fine

Police found the man without licence and while drunk on his scooter in car park

An Angus man who built a makeshift scooter with a chainsaw engine was arrested when police found him under the influence behind the wheel.

Timothy Robertson-Bernard told police he was “a stupid b ****** ” after they were tipped-off he was driving his creation around a Brechin car park.

Officers found the stand-on scooter, which had been fitted out with the running motor from a chainsaw, was not registered, the driver did not have a licence and he later tested more than twice the legal alcohol limit.

Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told Forfar Sheriff Court: “Around 5pm on Saturday May 28, police received an anonymous complaint of a male riding a motorbike or scooter in a Union Street car park.

“Police witnesses saw the accused in the car park, driving around on a scooter. “It appeared the accused had used a chainsaw engine to power a scooter, around one or two kilowatts in power.”

Officers checked the Police National Computer database and found the 36-year-old did not have a valid licence.

They could also smell alcohol on his breath.

He provided a breath reading at the Arbroath police station in Gravesend of 47 microgrammes in 100 millilitres of breath, where the legal limit is 22 mics.

“In response to caution and charge, he replied ‘I’m a stupid b ****** ’,” Ms Drummond added

Sheriff Gregor Murray said: “That just about sums it up.”

Previous convictions were admitted by defence agent Keith Sym.

Mr Sym said: “I understand the scooter is one you stand on, a home-made one he built himself.

“He had taken it to the car park area to test out whether it worked.

“He sustained brain injuries as a teenager and that has caused him considerable problems in his adult life.

“He’s never had a driving licence because of these difficulties.”

Sheriff Murray banned Robertson Bernard from holding a driving licence for a year and fined him a total of £400, including £100 for failing to appear at a previous hearing.

Robertson-Bernard, of Union Street, admitted driving a motor scooter while unfit through alcohol consumption, and also admitted driving without a licence.

Police witnesses saw the accused in the car park, driving around on a scooter. It appeared the accused had used a chainsaw engine to power a scooter, around one or two kilowatts in power