A dangerous driver who led police on a high-speed pursuit through rural Perthshire has been banned from the road.
David Main waved at cops as he whizzed past them at speeds of around 70mph, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
When they gave chase, the 29-year-old forced them to drive backwards for about half a kilometre.
Main admitted 11 charges related to his cross-country crime spree when he appeared in the dock in February.
Returning to court for sentence on Wednesday, Sheriff Euan Duthie heard he had spent the equivalent of a 15-month sentence on remand.
The sheriff told him: “There is no excuse for this pattern of conduct.
“But I take into account the significant period you have spent in custody.”
Main was sentenced to 15 months – backdated to when he was remanded – and freed from court because of time served.
He was disqualified from driving for three years and placed on supervision for two.
Main was ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.
Smashed-up van
Depute Fiscal Matthew Kerr said the rampage began on August 7, last year, when Main hurled a drawer out of the first-floor window of his home in Clunie Way, Stanley.
It plunged through the rear window of his neighbour’s Peugeot.
Days later, neighbours heard Main shouting, swearing and punching the walls of his property.
He smashed a window, before using a metal pole to smash up his own van, causing £900 worth of damage.
‘Waving as he went’
Mr Kerr told the court Main then set off in his van, on to an unclassified road which was busy with cyclists and farm vehicles.
Police spotted him at 11am, the prosecutor said.
Main drove past “waving as he went” and reached speeds of 70mph on the 40mph road.
He sped past a group of cyclists and stopped to shout at the chasing police.
He sped off again and officers noted he was “sweating profusely.”
Main stopped and reversed at their car for around 200 yards before speeding off towards Tullybelton at 50mph, almost striking someone and undertaking cyclists.
For a third time, he stopped suddenly and reversed at police.
Mr Kerr said the pursuit-trained officer had to take evasive action and reverse for around half-a-kilometre to avoid a crash.
Main sped off again and upon seeing the number of cyclists on the road, police abandoned their chase.
At just after 11.30am, Main arrived at the Tesco petrol station in Blairgowrie and helped himself to more than £120 worth of diesel.
Just after midnight, he handed himself into police.
Attempted break-ins
The court heard that earlier, on May 31 he was caught on CCTV trying to break into The Workshop in Coupar Angus’s Candlehouse Lane.
He turned his attention to Forest and Field Engineering in Blairgowrie on April 4, arriving at the company’s headquarters at Welton Industrial Estate with an angle grinder.
CCTV footage showed Main trying and failing to get through the locked entrance so he climbed the fence, leaving traces of ripped blue fabric hanging from the metal.
While inside the compound, Main managed to cause £500 of damage by cutting electrical cables.
Staff found the knife which Main had used and which still had remnants of his DNA on it.
Officers discovered him a short time later, sleeping in his car, wearing ripped clothing.
Main was taken to Dundee and during the journey, he called one Northern Irish police officer a “f***ing Irish b*tch,” before adding “f***ing cow”.
Church attendee
Main admitted two attempted break-ins, damaging his neighbour’s car by culpably or recklessly throwing a drawer from his house and acting threateningly at his home.
Main pled guilty to driving dangerously, grossly in excess of the speed limit, overtaking cyclists and farm vehicles at speed, repeatedly braking suddenly and reversing towards a police vehicle causing the driver to take evasive action and stealing £121.51 worth of fuel.
The court heard that the father-of-two had been attending church regularly while on remand.
