A Dundee MMA fighter drunkenly crashed a scaffolding van into petrol pumps at a city filling station.
Kevin Lobban ploughed into the recently-installed pump at the Forfar Road filling station and an employee who tried to stop him had to dive out the way of his van.
Metal cladding from the £20,000 destroyed pump fell off the flatbed Ford Transit van as Lobban fled the scene.
The van was abandoned at Caird Park with Lobban’s passport inside and after a failed bid to hide at his ex-partner’s home, the lout was caught by police.
When asked to provide breath samples at Dundee police HQ, he told officers to “f*** off” and challenged them to fight.
Lobban was jailed in 2018 for trying to roll a whisky barrel down stairs in busy a city nightclub and will be jailed again.
Now remanded at HMP Perth, Lobban will be sentenced on March 31 after the possibility of post-release supervision is explored.
Smashed into pumps
Dundee Sheriff Court heard three members of staff were working in the Jet station when Lobban pulled into the forecourt at 9.30pm on October 18 2021.
They heard a “loud bang” from the forecourt
Fiscal depute Michael Dunlop said Lobban – who does not have a driving licence – had careered the van into pumps one and two.
Parts of their metal cladding had stuck to the van and Lobban’s passenger climbed out and ran around the vehicle to pull away the debris.
An employee tried to get the 30-year-old to stop but Lobban took off at speed and the worker had to jump out the way to avoid being struck.
Metal from the pump fell away as he headed onto Forfar Road at speed.
Staff phoned police, having noted Lobban’s registration.
The pump, which had recently been installed for a five-figure fee, was substantially damaged.
Officers found the vehicle and Lobban’s passport within 20 minutes of being called.
Police also checked the fuel station’s CCTV and checked the vehicle details to find it was registered to LRK Scaffolding.
Pump ‘written off’
The owner of the garage told The Courier the crash was the biggest he’s seen there.
Sebastian Nonis has run the Forfar Road filling station for a quarter of a century and has seen a handful of bumps there.
The 57-year-old said: “The pump was written off.
“We couldn’t do anything about it.”
Recalling the terrifying incident, Mr Nonis said: “He came in, he kept going, he hit the pump.
“There was a bang noise. Two of my members of staff went out and he went again.
“He nearly went into the member of staff.”
Mr Nonis had to order new pumps from Dundee manufacturers Tokheim and had to have second-hand units shipped from Cumbria to use for a few months to keep business ticking over while he waited.
Mr Nonis said: “This is the biggest, most dangerous incident here.
“There’s been a couple of incidents… but not drunks – just driver negligence, not leaving handbrakes on.
“This was the biggest.”
Failed hideout
The court heard after the filling station smash, at 10pm, Lobban showed up at his former partner’s house.
Described by the woman as “heavily intoxicated,” Lobban told her “I love you, I want my family back.”
He lay down on grass outside and added: “I’m going to stay here.”
Shortly after, he entered the house and the frightened woman activated a police alarm.
Just before 10.30pm, police spotted Lobban walking down Claverhouse Road.
Mr Dunlop said he was handcuffed, searched and placed in a police vehicle, where he became “irate”, banging his head against the cage.
At West Bell Street HQ, when told about the crash, he said: “I dinnae ken what you’re talking about.”
After agreeing to – and failing – a breath test, Lobban was required to provide more samples but told officers to “f*** off,” challenged them to fight and had to be handcuffed and put in leg restraints.
Admission
Lobban admitted driving dangerously and failing to provide breath samples.
He also pled guilty to a campaign of domestic abuse towards the woman to whom he fled after the crash, between June 2020 and September 2022
Solicitor James Laverty said: “Custody is inevitable in relation to this.
“Mr Lobban accepts that.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael pointed out Lobban has nine previous sets of domestically-aggravated convictions and more for violence.
He labelled the crash “a nasty example of dangerous driving” and disqualified Lobban on the spot.
The sheriff ordered a background report to consider post-release supervision and deferred sentencing until the end of the month.
History of offending
Lobban was jailed for almost a year and a half after he tried to roll a whisky barrel downstairs in a nightclub filled with customers, spat at one police officer and tried to perform a martial arts act on another.
The incident took place at Rendezvous nightclub in October 2013.
He struggled violently with police when arrested and it took nine officers using riot equipment to remove him from the police vehicle and get him to West Bell Street HQ.
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