A drunken joyrider who crashed his works van into a Perthshire family’s garden has been banned from the road.
Liam Thornber was more than three times the legal limit when he careered into property off Crieff’s Kincardine Road, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the 20-year-old was disqualified from driving at the time, having previously led police on a high speed chase.
Thornber was found guilty after trial of taking a Citreon Berlingo without consent on November 8 last year and driving it while banned, over the limit and with no insurance.
He was fined £1,000, disqualified for a further three years and placed on supervision for 12 months.
Actions were ‘unacceptable’
Sheriff Euan Duthie told him he must also carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
“Your conduct was completely unacceptable,” he said. “And in fairness, you have accepted that.
“You appear to have turned over something of a new leaf and so I am prepared to deal with this by way of a community-based disposal.”
The trial heard Thornber, of Glebe Road, Comrie, was with a workmate at his home in Crieff‘s Sauchie Road.
The colleague was responsible for the works van which was parked outside, the court heard.
Thornber told his friend he was stepping outside for a cigarette but never came back.
He drove the works van onto Kincardine Street, where he lost control and crashed into a private front garden.
Thornber was breathalysed and recorded a reading of 70 mics of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 22 mics.
Police ran a check on him and found that he had been disqualified.
Accused drove ‘like an idiot’
The court previously heard Thornber was a provisional licence holder when he led police on a high-speed chase that was deemed so dangerous, force management told officers to stop pursing for their own safety.
He almost crashed several times as he drove through Perthshire in an Audi A3.
Thornber told the court he had acted “like an idiot”.
He was banned from driving for a year and fined £700.
