A Perth plumber is banned from the road after he was caught driving his van just one metre along a city centre street while nearly three times the legal alcohol limit.
Daniel Tarbet was spotted by police coming out of a pub and climbing into his company’s white Ford Transit.
Officers watched the vehicle reverse three feet, before coming to a halt.
When approached, Tarbet, from Scone, flew into a rage and refused to be breathalysed.
He warned officers: “If you touch me, I’ll kick off.”
The 42-year-old went on trial at Perth Sheriff Court and accepted he was over the drink-drive limit on August 8 2019 but denied he was driving.
He claimed he had entered the van only to pick up his keys and bank card.
He insisted he never turned on the engine.
His version of events was rejected by Sheriff James Hastie, who said he preferred evidence from police witnesses.
Tarbet, who now faces losing his job, was disqualified for 15 months and fined £500.
Suspect was ‘verbally abusive’
The court heard Perth police had been told to be on the look-out for a possible drink-driver in a white Transit.
Officers Sean Robertson and Nathan Shields spotted the vehicle on South Street, near an alleyway leading to The Grill.
Both officers saw Tarbet coming out of the pub and walking towards the van before getting into the driver’s seat and shutting the door behind him.
Detective Constable Shields (a PC at the time) told the court: “The reverse lights of the vehicle came on and it moved about a metre backwards.”
Both constables got out of their vehicle as Tarbet climbed out and began walking away along South Street.
“He became verbally abusive and irate,” said DC Shields.
“He uttered several profanities and said if we touched him, he would kick off.”
When he refused to comply with a road-side test, Tarbet told them: “I’ll be f***ing over anyway.”
He was arrested and taking to Perth police station, where he recorded a drink-drive reading of 62 mics per 100 ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 mics.
Parking fine
Taking the witness stand, Tarbet, of Fingask Court, admitted he lost his temper with police.
“They were right in my face.
“They were quite aggressive with me and I responded in the same manner.”
Under cross-examination by fiscal depute Andrew Harding, he accepted he called officers a disablist slur, a liar and a “f***ing c***.”
He also agreed he refused to comply with a roadside breath test.
But he denied that he had driven the van.
“I had to retrieve my keys and bankcard,” he told solicitor David Holmes.
“I opened the door, put my knee on the seat and leaned over.
“Then I came back out – the door was never closed.”
Tarbet said he had intended to leave the van on South Street and pay a £30 parking fine the next day.
“We do it all the time,” he said.
Sheriff Hastie told him: “In all circumstances, I accept that the police officers were credible and reliable in their evidence.
“Both saw you getting into the driver’s side of your van, before the van moved backwards.”
Mr Holmes said his client had no previous convictions.
“He will lose his job as a result of this conviction,” he said.
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