A man stole a lorry then told police it “obviously” wasn’t him – despite being caught on camera behind the wheel.
Peter MacLeod previously admitted stealing the ERF truck from Kennedy Transport Centre in Newmachar while more than twice the drink-drive limit.
He also admitted failing to tell police who had been driving the lorry on August 6 last year.
Yesterday, the 40-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend told the court that when MacLeod, of Fowler Avenue, Aberdeen, was questioned by police he told them: “Obviously it wasn’t me driving.”
He said: “He was caught on CCTV moving around the yard.
“He drove it through the main gates of the yard and made off in the direction of Newmachar.”
Defence solicitor Alex Burn said his client had been drinking that night, and believed his drink had been spiked.
Sheriff Michael Andrew said that after reading MacLeod’s background report, he had “some degree of sympathy”.
He said: “You realise you are pushing society to its limits.
“If you do anything like this again you will be going to prison.”
MacLeod previously admitted stealing the vehicle and driving it on an unclassified road between Newmachar and Fintray, near Roadside Steading, with 63 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Sheriff Anderson put him on an 18-month supervision order and told him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. He also banned him from driving for three years and fined him £500.
Kennedy Transport Centre declined to comment last night.