A defiant motorist who refused cops a breath test and deliberately sat in his car drinking water has been convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Mark Goldie, 47, locked all his windows and doors, stripped the keys from his ignition and refused to get out of his motor when asked to by police responding to a complaint.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Goldie, a dad-of-three, was clocked by neighbours parked up near lock-ups at Gateside Crescent, Barrhead, in the early hours of January 28, 2019, by a concerned neighbour.
However when cops attended and suspected him of drink driving, the time-served carpenter completely blanked them and refused to climb out of his motor.
Procurator fiscal depute Kirsten Brierley said: “Police had been contacted by a member of the public about cars parked near to a home address.
“Police attended and observed two cars parked side by side. One vehicle’s engine was running, the other was unoccupied.
“Officers approached the vehicle with its engine running. There were two occupants. The engine was then switched off but the lights were still on.
“They requested the driver open the window and he opened it.
“On opening the window, a strong smell of alcohol was detected from the driver’s breath.”
The court heard cops radioed colleagues for a breath test meter to be brought to the scene.
Cops requested further details from Goldie but he ignored them, while the passenger left his car.
The prosecutor added: “At that point the accused closed the windows, locked the doors, and removed keys from the ignition.
“He stated he did not have his keys.
“He was advised he was obstructing the police in the course of their duties.
“He was observed leaning back on the reclining seat and ignored requests made by police.”
Goldie stayed in his car despite “numerous requests” from cops.
The court heard cops told him they would be compelled to force entry to the vehicle to remove him, when he began shouting and banging the window of his motor and began drinking water from a bottle.
At that point a cop used a baton to break the window of his car and Goldie was removed and placed under arrest.
He again refused a breath test and was taken to the police station, where he actually recorded a reading of only 11 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, and the legal limit is 22 micrograms.
Defence agent Nadine Dormer said her client had been looking after his elderly dad at his home in Barrhead, but had decided to “socialise outside the house,” so not to disturb his elderly father.
She added: “He understands the conduct was totally inappropriate, however, he did later pass the breath test.”
Goldie, formally of Barrhead, but now staying at Haywards Heath, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice by refusing to provide a breath test to police.
Sheriff Mark Thorley told him: “This is an extremely serious matter which can normally result in a period of custody being imposed.”
He deferred sentencing him until October 25, to call for background reports, and ordered he attend court on that date.
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