3A man who reversed carelessly into oncoming traffic on a street in the centre of Aberdeen was later found to be in possession of a forbidden air pistol.
The city’s sheriff Court heard Dariusz Bedmarz was spotted asleep in a vehicle on Crown Street in the early hours of the morning by a resident there.
When he was still there three hours later, the concerned witness contacted the police.
While they made their way to Crown Street, the 35-year-old roused himself and tried to move his vehicle, reversing into oncoming traffic which had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
A short time later, police officers found his vehicle parked awkwardly, with the front tyres on the road and the back ones on the pavement.
Bedmarz identified himself as the driver and officers searched his vehicle, discovering the firearm in a bag.
Firearms officers attended and made it safe. It was subsequently revealed he did not have the required certificate for the pistol.
Bedmarz confessed to careless driving and being in possession of the weapon without permission on May 13 last year during his appearance at court yesterday.
He also admitted a failure to attend at court.
Defence agent Laura Gracie said: “He and a work colleague had been shooting targets in a forestry area, where there was no public access.
“He did not appreciate that he required to have a certificate.”
She added that Bedmarz, of Bedford Avenue in Aberdeen, was unable to explain his erratic driving.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge fined him £800 and endorsed his licence with four penalty points.
