A drink-driver who crashed his powerful car after speeding around Montrose was banned for two years at Forfar Sheriff Court.
Stewart Muir, of Heron Bank in Montrose, was almost four times the drink-drive limit when he crashed his Audi RS4 Quattro on February 15.
Police officers tracked the 26-year-old travelling well in excess of the speed limits at North Esk Road, Coronation Avenue, Marykirk Road and Kinnaber Road.
After his car left the road and went through a fence into a field, Muir was helped from the car by officers before being breathalysed, where a reading of 81 mics was recorded.
Depute fiscal Kirsten Thomson told the court: “The incident took place at 2am and there were no pedestrians around. However, the temperature was below freezing and the roads were damp and slippy.
“Police officers on mobile patrol on North Esk Road saw the car travelling at a high speed, at one point the car went airborne.
“The police officers followed and increased their speed to try to close the gap, however the car became lost to sight.
“They later saw the vehicle turning right into Kinnaber Road, which was covered in frost which meant grip was reduced.”
The fiscal said the crash occurred just after a blind corner on Kinnaber Road, with the car travelling through a fence before stopping in a field.
“He said he had been drinking and officers could smell alcohol so carried out the breathalyser test.”
Defence agent Nick Markowski said Muir was a first-time offender and this was “out of character”.
He said Muir moved to Angus about 18 months ago to start work as an engineer at a company in Montrose but had found himself “socially isolated” which led to him drinking in his house.
“He can give no explanation other than he was under the influence of alcohol,” said Mr Markowski.
Sheriff Robert Vaughan fined Muir £1,000 and disqualified him from driving for 24 months, but gave him the option of reducing the ban by completing the drink-driving rehabilitation course.
