The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Drink-driver tried to open front door with phone charger
Adrink-driver was so inebriated he tried to open the front door of his house using a phone charger.
Imran Safi was visited by police officers, who had found his Vauxhall Astra abandoned in Dunfermline.
Before ditching his car, Safi had been seen careering into a set of traffic lights, knocking them down.
When tested at the police station more than two hours after the crash the 31-year-old was found to be six times the legal limit.
At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, a sheriff warned him he had narrowly escaped a prison sentence.
Fiscal depute Mat Piskorz told the court the incident had happened in the early evening.
He said: “At 7.55pm witnesses saw the accused’s vehicle drive on Aberdour Road and drive over a pedestrian island and a ‘keep left’ sign, causing damage to both.
“It then turned left on to Queensferry Road, where it came to a stop. The witness contacted police to make them aware of the damage.
“Simultaneously the police received a call from a member of the public reporting the accused’s vehicle crashing into his fence and causing damage to a set of traffic lights.
“Police arrived at Aberdour Road and observed that the traffic lights had been completely knocked down and there was debris over the road causing an obstruction.
“The accused’s vehicle was observed crashed at
Pitbauchlie Bank and there was no one inside.”
He said officers traced Safi at his home.
“He appeared heavily intoxicated and was struggling to unlock his front door using a phone charger.”
Safi admitted he had been the driver and was taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where he began abusing police officers, who had to call in reinforcements.
He was later taken to the police station and failed a breath test at around 10.30pm.
Safi, of Ferry Road, Edinburgh, admitted driving dangerously on May 3. He further admitted driving with 132mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, against the legal limit of 22mcg, and acting in a threatening and abusive manner at Victoria Hospital.
Solicitor Elaine Buist said Safi is a manager with a security firm and has moved to Edinburgh as there are better public transport links to get to work. She said his recollection of events was “hazy”.
Sentencing him, Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “It’s only by the greatest good fortune you did not cause physical harm to anyone.
“The only thing that’s keeping you out of prison is your lack of long record.”
He ordered Safi to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. He also disqualified him from driving for 27 months and ordered him to sit the extended test before he gets back behind the wheel.