A banned driver who crashed a lorry into a Fife ditch on Christmas Eve tried to restart the vehicle, even though his passenger was trapped.
Alexander Brewis lost control of the vehicle as he drove between Alloa and Dunfermline last year.
The lorry fell into a “deep” ditch but despite the damage trapping his passenger, Brewis attempted to get it going again.
At the time the Country Durham man was already serving a driving ban imposed by South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court had previously heard that the incident happened at around 8.30pm.
A fiscal depute told the court Brewis crashed around one mile east of the Gartarry Roundabout.
She said Brewis had failed to negotiate a bend and collided with a verge, coming to rest in the ditch.
The nearside of the vehicle was “crushed” by its weight, trapping Brewis’ passenger.
A passing motorist came to the pair’s aid, only to see Brewis attempt to restart the lorry.
The man called police and Brewis’ passenger was cut from the cab by firefighters.
Threats to police
Brewis, 39, was taken to Forth Valley Hospital where, over the course of several hours, he made repeated threats to police officers.
He told them he was going to bite their faces off and threatened to burn down their homes.
He also said he hoped the officers and their families would die of cancer.
His passenger escaped with minor injuries.
Brewis, of West Rainton, County Durham, admitted driving carelessly on the A907 on December 24 last year by failing to negotiate a bend and colliding with a verge.
At the time he had no valid licence or insurance.
He further admitted behaving in a threatening manner at Forth Valley Hospital by making threats towards police officers.
Long criminal record
Solicitor David Bell, defending, said Brewis admitted he had been serving a driving ban imposed by an English court earlier this year.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis banned him from the road for 50 months and fined him £750.
He also ordered him to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work.
Brewis has a long criminal record, including for the theft of a safe, and was first locked up at the age of just 13.
Almost a decade ago he founded a scheme to help other crooks go straight, with mentors also helping troubled youths avoid a life of crime.
His epiphany came after he was jailed for 22 months for stealing a safe from a pub.
