A north-east man who crashed a car into a wall and then let his partner take the blame has been banned from driving.
Stuart Ledingham other-half rushed to protect the 29-year-old – who had already been bared from the road more than once – from justice.
Witnesses, however, soon set police officers right and informed them he had been behind the wheel.
DNA samples taken from the driver’s airbag soon confirmed who was responsible for the accident.
Appearing at Peterhead Sheriff Court yesterday Ledingham, of the town’s Longate, pled guilty to driving without a licence, failing to give his name and address and the details of the vehicle’s owner and failing to identify the driver.
The 29-year-old claimed to have been under the influence of medication when he crashed his Mini into a wall on Strichen’s Brewery Road on February 18.
Depute Fiscal Ruairidh McAlister told the court: “Witnesses saw the car in question hitting a garden wall and the accused running from the car.
“The police were contacted and when they arrived his partner told the police she had been driving. Witnesses said otherwise.
“The airbag that was deployed in the vehicle had DNA matching the accused’s profile.”
Defence agent Marianna Milligan told the court Ledingham regretted his decision to get behind the wheel.
She said: “He had gone out for electricity and took the car while on medication.
“He regrets his actions.”
She said Ledingham was already undertaking a community payback order and asked for sentenced to be deferred.
Sheriff Robert McDonald, however, told the accused: “This is not the first time you have been in court on driving offences.
“You have been disqualified on other occasions.”
He banned Ledingham from driving for 19 months and fined him £295.
