A dangerous driver fell out of his car as he left a trail of destruction through Aberdeen while unfit to drive through drink or drugs.
Robert Labutin was involved in two separate crashes with other vehicles as he sped and swerved through Aberdeen.
At one point, the 44-year-old was even seen falling out of his car, before getting back in and driving along the pavement, forcing a pedestrian to jump out of the way.
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Labutin’s Volkswagen Passat was seen on Market Street at 2pm on May 23 “travelling at speed and weaving between lanes”.
Accused climbed over passenger seat and fell out door
It then crashed into the rear of another vehicle before reversing and driving off again towards Palmerston Road.
At 2.15pm, a witness on Albury Place spotted Labutin’s car parked at the side of the road.
Ms Pritchard said: “The witness observed the accused to climb over the passenger seat and fall out of the door onto the ground.
“The accused then climbed back into his vehicle and drove off.
“The witness then saw the accused’s vehicle mount the pavement and took evasive action to move out of the way of the car.”
Labutin continued his journey in the direction of Caledonian Place.
‘On May 23 he received news that his uncle had died’
At 2.20pm, more witnesses were in their car on Willowbank Road heading towards Springbank Terrace when they felt a “large collision to the rear of their vehicle” and saw it was Labutin.
Police were then contacted and arrived and traced Labutin sitting in his car.
Just after 3pm, the officers asked him to confirm the identity of the driver of his car, and he replied: “No me.”
He was arrested and taken to Kittybrewster station where he refused to provide breath samples without reasonable excuse.
Labutin, of Charlotte Gardens, Aberdeen, pled guilty to driving while unfit through drink or drugs, dangerous driving, failing to give information to police as to the identity of the driver and failing to provide breath samples.
Defence agent Nadine Dormer said her client “made no attempt to minimise or justify his actions and took full responsibility for the offences “to the extent that he became very emotional” when discussing them.
‘You’re very fortunate you did not seriously injure or kill anyone’
She said Labutin’s life trajectory had been improving in the past year, bar the day of the offences.
The solicitor went on: “He had not consumed alcohol for a year and had seen his GP to take medication to help him stop consuming alcohol.
“He previously struggled with binging on alcohol and he became alcohol dependent.”
Ms Dormer said Labutin at one stage was drinking a bottle of whisky every day.
She said: “On May 23 he received news that his uncle had died.
“Clearly that does not excuse any of this conduct.”
Sheriff Eric Brown told Labutin: “You’re very fortunate in that you did not seriously injure or kill anyone in the process of this episode, because if you had done, in the context of dangerous driving while unfit to drive through drink or drugs, you would almost inevitably face a lengthy prison sentence.”
He handed Labutin a 16-month supervision order, 180 hours of unpaid work, and banned him from driving for 16 months.
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