A Moray motorist who crashed his car while drunk then tried to tell police it had been stolen has been banned from the roads for three years.
Callum Hunter, from Elgin, called officers just 15 minutes after the “bump” in his hometown to tell them he believed the vehicle was in the hands of thieves.
However, after police questioned the 30-year-old about the alleged theft they found the car parked in a street next to his Fleurs Road home.
Yesterday, Hunter appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court to be sentenced for attempting to pervert the course of justice – as well as for driving at 116mph in a separate incident on the A941 Elgin to Lossiemouth road.
Fiscal Kevin Corrins explained that Hunter, who works as an independent contractor at RAF Lossiemouth, had a “minor bump” with another motorist at the Maisondieu Road roundabout on November 15 last year.
It was agreed they would drive into a neighbouring car park to swap details – but Hunter instead chose to drive off.
Mr Corrins said: “A matter of minutes later police received a report from the accused to report his vehicle had been stolen from his home and the keys were missing.
“He then falsely advised the constables he had returned home from work at 3pm, left the keys on the windowsill and at 5pm noticed they were gone.
“The accused did appear agitated when speaking to officers and the car was thereafter traced in the next street.”
The other motorist involved in the accident was later able to identify Hunter and his car.
A breath test done following his arrest found that he was twice the legal limit with 50mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the limit is 22mcg.
Hunter also admitted driving at 116mph on the A941 on September 9 last year after a call from his former employer to ask why he was late for work.
Defence solicitor Matthew O’Neill said: “He accepts he was going at a massively excessive speed to get to work as quickly as possible.
“He lost that employment and that appears to have started a bit of a downward spiral for him.”
Hunter was banned from driving for three years, sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid work, placed under supervision for nine months, given a 121-day curfew and fined £600. He admitted charges of drink driving, failing to stop after an accident, attempting to pervert the course of justice and speeding.
