AN IDIOTIC Johnstone driver was caught drink-driving after he crashed his car – just hours after being spared jail for a previous drink-driving offence.

Jamie Alexander, 27, smashed his Vauxhall Corsa into a fence at a farm while nearly three times the drink-drive limit – leading to the animals escaping from the field and spilling on to the road.

Alexander, of Huntersfield Road, was drunk at the time as he had gone to the pub with a pal for a drink – to celebrate being spared jail for a previous drink-driving offence.

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At Paisley Sheriff Court last Tuesday he pleaded guilty to two charges – drink-driving while nearly three times the limit, and being in possession of a Stanley blade in public.

He could have been caged for up to 12 months for the offences, but was spared prison, instead being fined a total of £900 and banned from driving for 12 months.

But after leaving court, Alexander then went to the pub with a friend and drank again, then drove home while over the limit, lost control of his car and crashed in to a fence at the farm.

The details emerged when Alexander, 27, again appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court.

This time he admitted to four charges – driving while disqualified, drink-driving, driving without insurance and careless driving by crashing in Blackstoun Road, Linwood.

Fiscal depute Carol Cameron said the offences took place on Tuesday, August 28, just after Alexander had been at court, where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was banned from driving for a year.

The prosecutor explained: “At around one o’clock the owner of the farm was informed that livestock had got out of the field and were on the road.

“The farmer went to see that and, on the way there, saw the fence had been damaged – the damage being consistent with the fence having been struck by a vehicle.

“A red Vauxhall Corsa was positioned further along Candren Road with collision damage to the front of it.”

The Gazette:

Jamie Alexander pictured in his car 

Alexander lied to cover his tracks, claiming he had lost control of the car after suffering a tyre blow out – before saying someone must have stolen his car and crashed it, even though he had the key. He then said he had left his car parked there all day while going to court as it would be easier for his girlfriend to pick up after he received his ban, and that he walked back to the vehicle to find someone had crashed in to it.

But he later admitted he had been driving while over the limit and crashed it, and police noticed blood and dirt on both his hands and debris from his car strewn all over the road near the fence.

Defence solicitor Amy Spencer said: “To describe these offences as ‘mindless, irresponsible and idiotic’ would be understating it.”

“He has landed in a lot of hot water in the last 24 hours.

“Why he drove to court on the day of a drink-driving trial he cannot explain.

“He pleaded guilty and was banned and had alcohol with someone he met in court and had planned, he tells me, to get public transport home but then decided, stupidly, to chance it – and devastation has followed.”

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Ms Spencer asked for Alexander to be released on bail ahead of sentencing, saying he works full-time as a landscape gardener.

Ms Spencer asked for her client to be released on bail ahead of sentencing, but Sheriff James Spy remanded him in custody instead, saying: “I can’t trust that you wouldn’t do something so stupid again, so bail is refused.”