A Moray driver that rolled his van while drunk before ranting at police in hospital has been disqualified.
John Harrold failed a breath test more than nine hours after crashing his vehicle on the Lhanbryde to Garmouth road at Ferniefield on December 13.
Shortly before 1am, the 56-year-old’s van careered off the road damaging 15 metres of fencing, causing a hole to be smashed in the vehicle’s windscreen before it came to rest on its side in a ditch.
Officers could smell alcohol on Harrold’s breath after locating him, and took the painter and decorator to Elgin police station – where he failed a breath test shortly after 9.30am.
The reading showed he had 27 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 25 millilitres.
Police then became concerned about a cut on Harrold’s head and took him to A&E at Dr Gray’s. But while there, he began shouting so loudly he had to be taken to a private room.
Fiscal Kevin Corrins said: “He was shouting and swearing at the top of his voice. He said ‘This is against my human rights’ and spoke to Constable Ewing in a menacing manner, saying ‘We will meet again.'”
Defence solicitor Brent Lockie said: “There have been considerable underlying stresses. When he’s sober he’s a hard-working man.”
Harrold, of Milne Road in Fochabers, was banned from driving for 20 months and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work after admitting driving while drunk, driving without due care and attention, failing to report the accident to police and shouting, swearing and making threats to police officers.
