Drunk baker stole works car when he was ordered home

Abakery supervisor was drunk at work, then took a works vehicle, which he crashed at a pedestrian crossing.

Mark McConnell stole the vehicle after being told to go home from his job at Stephens the Bakers premises in Rosyth.

McConnell, from Dunfermline, who had been banned from driving less than a month before, has now been jailed.

McConnell, 26, of Johnston Crescent, appeared back in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, where he admitted a string of offences which happened on January 21.

Fiscal depute Jill Currie said McConnell had been working in his job as night shift supervisor.

In the early hours of the morning the bakery manager received a call at home from another staff member who was concerned that two workers, including McConnell, were intoxicated.

When the manager arrived there, he told the two workers to go home.

Shortly afterwards he was told one of the firm’s vehicles was missing from outside and it was believed McConnell had taken it.

The police were contacted and told the vehicle had been stolen by someone who was drunk and was banned from driving.

Officers saw damaged metal railings and car debris at Sandpiper Drive.

They then found McConnell behind the wheel of the vehicle on Kingseat Road.

It had a punctured tyre and the front of the vehicle was badly damaged.

McConnell became aggressive towards officers and would not do a breath test.

McConnell admitted stealing a vehicle, driving while disqualified, failing to stop after an accident and failing to provide samples of breath.

Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said: “Things were getting on top of him. He was dismissed as a result of this, not surprisingly.”

Sheriff James Macdonald told McConnell: “This was a serious breach of trust. As a supervisor you unlawfully took possession of this vehicle and drove in an appalling manner which resulted in you colliding with a safety barrier at a pedestrian crossing.

“It’s fortunate it was in the dead of night or there would have been the potential of more serious consequences.”

He jailed McConnell for four months and banned him from driving for three years.

In December, McConnell was fined £1,410 and banned from driving for 16 months after crashing into a parked car after consuming a bottle of vodka and then assaulting a man.

“This was a serious breach of trust