A man who crashed his girlfriend’s car on a north-east road and then refused to be breathalysed by police had been jailed.
Pavel Urkel previously pled guilty to two charges, driving while disqualified and failing, without reasonable excuse, to provide a breath sample.
The 36-year-old crashed on Kinmundy Road in Peterhead on May 10, with his partner in the passenger seat, and then refused to co-operate when police tried to take a breath sample.
And yesterday at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff Graham Buchanan told Urkel, of Springbank, Peterhead: “As far as road traffic matter are concerned, you have a significant record.
“The first matter which was obviously quite serious was a drink-driving offence which resulted in a lengthy disqualification and community payback order with a significantly high number of hours of unpaid work.
“Two years later in 2017 you committed another drink-driving offence at a time when you were disqualified from driving, and you received 200 hours of unpaid work for that.
“In my view the court has now run out of realistic alternatives to prison given that you’ve already served two community payback orders.
“I take the view there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
He ordered Urkel to be jailed for four months, and also banned him from driving for four years and two months.
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Defence solicitor Stuart Flowerdew said Urkel and his partner had both been drinking when she wanted to drive to the shop. He said his client had driven because he feared his girlfriend was over the limit.
The solicitor said Urkel’s attitude towards the woman wanting to drive showed “maturity” on his part.
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar previously told the court: “The most recent previous conviction confirms the accused was disqualified from driving in 2017 until June 2021.”
“The accused was driving his partner’s vehicle on the date libelled.
“A member of the public noted it to be driving along Kinmundy Road in Peterhead weaving between lanes.
“The accused was driving his girlfriend’s vehicle. His girlfriend was in the passenger seat and the car collided with the car of the member of the public I have referred to.
“The police and ambulance service were called as a result of the collision, which caused extensive damage to both vehicles.”
Ms MacVicar said Urkel was suffering from “back and neck pain”, adding: “It was considered necessary for the accused to be taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but he was deemed fit to provide a specimen of breath.
“The accused, despite being given several opportunities to provide a specimen, refused to do so without providing a reasonable excuse.”
Urkel was taken to hospital but was not assessed to be injured.
The incident happened around 4.20pm, with the road reopening by 8.15pm.
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