A drink-driver abandoned his car after crashing into a lamppost near a children’s playpark while he was more than six times the limit.
Brandon Davidson was told he was lucky not to have caused more carnage after ploughing through a fence in front of stunned witnesses on Back Loan, Milnathort.
The 23-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted driving with an “extraordinarily high” reading of 135 mics of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 mics.
Davidson drove his Fiat Punto down the one-way street at about 12.25pm on November 22 2024, the court heard.
Fiscal depute Lissie Cooke said: “Witnesses heard a loud bang followed by a screeching noise.
“They observed the suspect vehicle had smashed into a fence, causing damage to a lamppost.”
One driver had to move his parked car to let Davidson reverse out from the “significantly damaged” fence.
“The accused then parked his car next to the playpark,” said Ms Cooke.
“He exited the vehicle, before walking away and out of sight.”
Locals contacted police and gave them a description of the driver.
Officers inspected the car and found an empty alcohol can in the driver’s footwell.
Davidson was traced at his sister’s house nearby.
“He was found to be very intoxicated,” said Ms Cooke.
Davidson admitted he was driving and apologised for getting behind the wheel while drunk.
He confirmed he had had no more to drink since the crash.
When asked to confirm who was driving the Punto, he replied: “It was me, but I shouldn’t tell you that.”
Solicitor Lyndsey Barber, defending, said: “He is extremely fortunate that nothing more problematic happened.
“It is not lost of him that the (breath test) reading is extraordinarily high.”
The court heard Davidson was worried he would miss the birth of his son if was sent to jail.
Sheriff Clair McLachlan told him: “You are indeed lucky that you did not do serious injury to yourself or others.
“The custody threshold has been crossed, but given your age I will impose a commnity payback order as a direct alternative.”
Davidson, of New Road, Milnathort, was ordered to carry out 188 hours unpaid work.
He was placed on supervision for a year and banned from driving for 45 months.
Rat poison plot
A scorned hunter planted poisoned pheasants to frame an Angus estate for wildlife crimes.
Clive Burgoyne took revenge against bosses at The Guynd, near Carmyllie, when they revoked his family’s right to shoot there.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard how the 38-year-old and his late father Anthony went onto the estate and laid down gamebird carcasses laced with rat poison.
Burgoyne’s DNA was found on the legs of all four pheasants.
Driver cleared after Ferry crash
An electrician has been cleared of driving carelessly before knocking down an 82-year-old woman in Broughty Ferry.
Mary Keddie suffered injuries after being struck by the Nissan Navara pick-up being driven by Samuel Pickett on January 22 2024.
The pensioner was crossing the road at Gray Street towards Brook Street when Pickett turned right from Brook Street towards the level crossing.
Prosecutors alleged that former serviceman Pickett, 43, failed to keep a proper lookout for other road users and pedestrians.
CCTV footage played at Pickett’s trial at Dundee Sheriff Court showed that the Mrs Keddie was halfway across the road when she was “nudged” by the pick-up before falling.
Pickett, of Brechin, immediately stopped and helped Mrs Keddie, including calling an ambulance.
The front offside wheel of the pick-up appeared to be the only part of the vehicle that was within the left lane.
Giving evidence in his defence, Pickett said he was briefly dazzled by the low sun reflecting off the wet road surface as well as having his vision partially obscured by the A-pillar of the pick-up.
The A-pillar forms part of the uprights that support any car’s windscreen.
Finding Pickett not proven, Sheriff George Way said: “From a criminal point of view, we have to be careful not to take the circumstances and work backwards.
“There was the issue of the turn. I accept he’s a little tight but none of that really changes anything.
“I am of the view there are such things as genuine, non-criminal accidents.
“In this case, the driving – whilst it was not perfect – it can’t be a council of perfection.”
Spycam victim speaks out
A peeping tom who planted a hidden camera in a woman’s bedroom to record her getting undressed was “very fortunate” not to be jailed, his victim said.
Twisted Andrew Thomas concealed an iPhone spycam in a flower vase at the foot of the 65-year-old’s bed and recorded more than 40 hours of footage.
He was caught when the woman discovered the camera, attached by Velcro, while rearranging the artificial bouquet.
Thomas appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted one charge of voyeurism under the Sexual Offences Act 2009 between January 29 and July 29 2023.
The 49-year-old former offshore worker, who has a previous sexual conviction for secretly filming a female colleague on an oil rig, has narrowly avoided a prison sentence.
His victim told The Courier of her “shock and horror” upon finding the camera, and said she wanted to attend the sentencing hearing to give Thomas a “reality check”.
Caught with child abuse files
A 26-year-old man downloaded nine child sexual abuse images to his phone.
John Coote’s sick material included pictures of boys as young as seven, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard.
The offending took place at an address in Denfield Place, Kirkcaldy, on February 18 this year.
Prosecutor Duncan MacKenzie told the court Coote is assessed as a high-risk registered sexual offender and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order which was previously imposed in England.
It means he gets home visits from police.
Two police officers visited Coote at the address in Denfield Place at around 6:20pm and a Samsung phone was provided.
Following an examination of the phone, nine images were found depicting child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The images involved boys estimated to be aged between seven and 14 engaged in sexualised posing and exposing genital areas.
All of the images were assessed as category C.
Coote, who appeared in court by video link to prison, pleaded guilty to a charge he did take or permit to be taken or make indecent photographs of children.
Defence lawyer Alistair Burgleigh said Coote has been remanded in custody since February 19.
The solicitor said his client has a previous conviction “in relation to an analogous matter”.
Sheriff Robert More noted the low number of category C images and that, with regard to Coote already spending two months in custody, he considers the likely greater public benefit in exploring, in the first instance, alternatives to a custodial sentence.
The sheriff adjourned sentencing until May 20 to obtain background reports and released Coote on bail meantime.
Coote has been placed on the sex offenders register.
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