An Aberdeen man who crashed his car and fled the scene was caught hiding in his parents’ garden, almost five times the drink-driving limit.
However, Sean Davidson, 28, held on to his driving licence after claiming he had downed “a large amount of alcohol” at his mum and dad’s place after the crash to “calm himself”.
Davidson was out with friends on the evening of January 20 last year and decided to drive home because it was cold and snowing.
His black Vauxhall Astra hit a bollard and collided with a wall on Bucksburn’s Mill Drive shortly before midnight, and the driver soon abandoned his injured passenger.
The police traced him 45 minutes later, discovering Davidson hiding from them in the garden of his parents’ property, not far from the crash scene.
Davidson pleaded with crash witnesses not to phone the police
Davidson’s lawyer later told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that he ran away because he feared he was over the alcohol limit when he came off the road.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend said the offender’s car had struck a bollard, which he drove over before hitting a wall.
“Householders nearby came out onto the road, having heard a collision,” Mr Townsend explained.
“One approached [Davidson], who pleaded with them not to phone the police. However, the witness said he already had.”
Davidson fled the scene to the nearby family address, leaving his injured passenger inside the car.
“The passenger was being treated by paramedics for a cut to his head,” the prosecutor added.
“Fire and Rescue Services also attended. The damage to the wall did not affect the structural soundness of the building.
“The accused was found to be the registered keeper of the car and was found three-quarters of an hour after the collision, traced within the garden at the nearby address.
“He accepted that he had been the driver at the relevant time.”
‘It was snowing and cold … He took the regrettable decision to drive’
Davidson pled guilty to failing to stop after an accident.
Other charges of drink-driving, failing to report an accident and having no valid MOT certificate were dropped by the Crown.
Davidson’s defence agent, Gail Goodfellow, said her client was working as a project engineer and did not need his vehicle for employment.
She also said he was “candid from the outset” and had been scared he was over the limit, having chosen to drive home after being out drinking with friends.
“He had mostly soft drinks and a large meal, and had not taken alcohol for several hours prior to driving,” Ms Goodfellow explained.
“When they left the pub, he thought he would just walk the short distance, but it was snowing and very cold.
“He went to get a jumper from his car and took the regrettable decision to drive.”
‘He went to his mum and dad’s house and had a large amount of alcohol to calm himself’
Explaining that road conditions had been icy, Ms Goodfellow said the crash was “no fault of his,” adding: “It was snowing, and he slid into the bollard.
“He was suffering from concussion and asked the witness not to call the police because he was scared he was over the limit.
“The witness did not have suspicions he had been drinking.
“Conscious that he had been drinking earlier in the evening, he was not thinking, and went round the corner to his mum and dad’s house.
“He explained what had happened and had a large amount of alcohol to calm himself.”
The solicitor advocate told the court the incident had affected Davidson, that her client had not driven since, and asked for either a short disqualification or penalty points.
Sheriff Christine McCrossan imposed a fine of £270 on Davidson, of Mugiemoss Road, Aberdeen, and endorsed his licence with five penalty points.
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