Drink-driver struck wall with lorry while negotiating street

COURT: Driver banned from getting behind wheel for two years

A Polish lorry driver hit a wall as he drove through the centre of Lochgelly almost five times over the drink drive limit.

Andrzej Kotula was having trouble manoeuvring his HGV late on a Saturday and residents went to his assistance.

However, when Kotula stepped out of his cab it became obvious he was drunk and the police were contacted.

Officers found him to be unsteady on his feet and smelling of alcohol but had to send for a translator before they dealt with the matter because the driver could not speak English.

Kotula was accompanied by an interpreter when he appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

He had previously admitted that on July 26 on High Street, Lochgelly, he drove a lorry with excess alcohol (105 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22mgs).

Kotula has been banned from driving since his previous court appearance and had to surrender his passport preventing him returning to his home in Poland.

His solicitor Chris Sneddon said his client had been able to find temporary accommodation in Tullibody through the Polish community in Scotland.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said a member of the public noticed it took a long time for the lorry to negotiate a corner at The Avenue into High Street.

Kotula drove into a car parking area in Hall Street and then performed a 90-degree turn into High Street and as he did so he struck a garden wall.

Mr Kapadia said: “The incident attracted other members of the public.

“They noticed the driver appeared to be drunk and called the police.”

Later, through an interpreter, Kotula said: “I think that’s the legal limit.”

Mr Kapadia had stated that Kotula was driving back to Poland when the offence occurred. Mr Sneddon said this was not the case, as his client was not due to pick up his load until the Monday.

Mr Sneddon said his client had parked up the lorry not intending to move it again that night but had been told he could not leave it where it was.

Sheriff Simon Collins told Kotula: “You are a 54-year-old first offender but you were nearly five times over the drink drive limit and you drove an HGV through a residential area with the obvious dangers to road users, pedestrians, householders and yourself.”

He imposed a community payback order with 175 hours of unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for two years.

They noticed the driver appeared to be drunk and called the police. DEV KAPADIA

Andrzej Kotula, who was five times over the drink-drive limit at the wheel of his lorry.