POLICE CAUGHT a drink-driver who crashed his car after he waved them down to ask for a lift home, Forfar Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

Brian Keith Elrick (36) admitted driving with excess alcohol (103 mics) on the Brechin-Edzell road, near the junction with the A90 dual carriageway, on Monday.

Fiscal depute Brian Bell said at 2 am police on patrol found a car which had collided with two traffic signs on a roundabout.

Officers then made a computer check to find its owner, with the intention of going to his house.

“On their way there they were flagged down by Mr Elrick, who asked for a lift home,” he added.

Elrick, Dennis Drive, Edzell Woods, also admitted using a car without insurance that day.

Nick Markowski, defending, said the car had been written off and, as the insurance had lapsed last month, the loss to his client was around £450, plus the recovery costs for the car.

Sheriff Kevin Veal said, “Why people who live in rural areas drink and drive is beyond me.”

He had to take into account the high alcohol reading and the fact Elrick was uninsured in sentencing him. Sheriff Veal fined him £400 and banned him from driving for two years.