A sheriff has slammed a young driver for trying to use the “oldest and stupidest excuse in the book” after a crash which wrecked his £8,000 truck.
Keir Mudie phoned police at 4.30am to tell them his Mitsubishi L200 had been stolen from an Angus car park but seemed so intoxicated he could not even remember the vehicle’s full registration.
The 20-year-old then appeared at Stonehaven police office and as investigations into the claim unfolded, his failure to comply with breath test procedures led to a court appearance which has cost him his licence and job.
The young gamekeeper had previously been slated at the same court for leaving a shotgun under his bed before going out drinking with friends.
Mudie, of Robert Lindsay Place, Arbroath appeared before Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar where he admitted failing to provide two specimens of breath at Kittybrewster custody suite, Aberdeen on December 9 last year.
Depute fiscal Laura McGillvery said police believed Mudie was “heavily under the influence” when he initially phoned them to report the vehicle theft.
“At 5.35am on the same date, police received information two vehicles were lying stationary having appeared to be in a road traffic collision,” she added.
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Mudie was subjected to the drink drive procedure at 7.35am that day and provided one reading, but failed to provide a reading for a second specimen, the court heard.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said: “He had gone out in Montrose and has little recollection of events.
“At some point he contacted his girlfriend and got her to collect him. It also appears he had been in a collision and had been injured as a result of that.”
The lawyer added: “He is a shepherd/gamekeeper in Perthshire and is about to lose his job as a result of this.
“The vehicle, which is worth £7-8,000, ended up with a broken chassis and is going to be written off.”
Sheriff Murray asked Mudie: “Do you remember me, because I certainly remember you. This is the third act of gross stupidity on your part for which you have appeared before me.”
The sheriff continued: “Phoning the police to say ‘my car has been stolen’ is probably the oldest and stupidest excuse in the book.
“If you’re going to start avoiding jail, you’re going to have to grow up.”
Mudie was banned from driving for 14 months and fined £500.
In April 2017, Mudie was fined £500 and had his shotgun seized by the court after admitting breaching the conditions of his firearms licence by leaving the weapon under his bed before going on a night out.
