A drunken roofer smashed his van into the front of a house so hard that he damaged the structure of the building and destroyed the front door and its frame.
Graham Young caused thousands of pounds worth of damage before getting out of his van and going on a bizarre rampage and attacking a police officer.
Self-employed Young, of Milton Street, was still around four times over the drink drive limit when he was eventually breathalysed by police almost five hours after the crash.
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode told Perth Sheriff Court that Young was spotted speeding through Bridge of Earn in his two tonne Ford Transit earlier the same day.
“A witness overheard the diesel engine in the street followed by a loud crash. Another witness saw the van failing to negotiate the bend,” Mr Kermode said.
“She thought the van was going to mount the pavement. They saw the van had crashed into the front door of a house on Durley Dene Crescent.”
The homeowner, who was inside at the time, told police: “The feeling was as though something large collided with the house, causing the whole house to shake.”
Mr Kermode said: “The front door was ajar. They opened it to find the van crashed into the front door, damaging the door frame and the structure of the building around the door.
“A number of witnesses came out to try and assist. The accused was shouting and swearing incoherently whilst running up and down the street.
“He was shouting ‘it was me what done it’ and was acting erratically, throwing himself to the ground. He dropped the keys.
“A resident went to check on the accused but he began shouting and swearing and acting erratically. She was distressed.
“They believed the accused was intoxicated as he was staggering and struggling to walk in a straight line. He tried to run off on foot, climbing over walls and running out in front of cars.
“He continued to shout and scream incoherently. Police arrived at 5.30pm and traced the accused, who stated he had crashed his van.”
As the officers tried to put his seatbelt on in the police vehicle, he tried to headbutt one of them and hurled anti-English abuse at the other.
“As for damage to the house,” Mr Kermode said, “the door had been knocked from its frame and the structure of the wall had moved, causing various cracks to the internal and external walls.
“The family expected the cost to reach several thousand pounds to repair and they were extremely shocked by this and the major financial inconvenience.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said Young had split up with a long-term partner in February and that had been “the catalyst for the drinking that resulted in this offence.”
Young, 46, admitted driving carelessly and losing control before crashing into a house in Durley Dene Crescent, Bridge of Earn, and causing extensive damage.
He admitted drink driving, having no insurance and acting in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and making racist remarks on February 15.
As well as calling one police officer “an English ****” he admitted assaulting another by attempting to headbutt him in the Perthshire town’s Paradise Avenue.
Young was banned from driving for 27 months, fined £900, and ordered to pay £500 compensation to the owner of the house he left badly damaged. He was also ordered to complete 90 hours unpaid work.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.