Drunk in birthday car crash cut free

A BROUGHTY Ferry driver had to be cut free from his car after crashing it while drunk on his birthday.

Dean Boyle, 37, admitted drinkdriving on Dundee Road last November and crashing into a wall.

Boyle, of Lawrence Street, had taken alcohol for the first time in almost two years, Dundee Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

He smashed his car while driving to visit a friend on his birthday, causing so much damage that firefighters had to be called to use mechanical equipment to free him.

The roofer had 180mg/100ml of alcohol in his blood, more than triple the legal limit of 50mg, in a sample taken after the crash.

Depute fiscal Lee Corr told the court that police were alerted by Boyle himself at 10.20pm on November 15, when he called the control room to request an ambulance.

Police and fire crews arrived to find him trapped inside the vehicle.

The fiscal said: “The roof of the vehicle had to be removed and the accused extricated

“He was placed in an ambulance and noticed to have suffered cuts and bruising. He was taken to Ninewells hospital for assessment.”

Boyle was tested and arrested when the tests proved positive.

Defence solicitor Anika Jethwa, in mitigation, said: “He was a roofer for 25 years.

“He developed an addiction to alcohol.

“He was completely teetotal for a year before this incident but on the date in question it was his birthday. There had been a mix-up with his medication.

“His prescription had not been available for more than two weeks. He very stupidly decided to go to visit his friend.

“He hit the wall. He was in a position to get out but was advised by the police not to try – they told him not to.”

Ms Jethwa added: “He has been on a detox course and has continued with his alcohol group meetings.”

Fining Boyle £170 and disqualifying him from driving for a year, Sheriff Robert More told him: “You are clearly a man of capability.

“But this could have been so much worse.

“You could have done some considerable damage to others or yourself.”