A motorist who flipped his car over and then stole a bus to flee the scene has been jailed and banned from driving for LIFE – after a staggering 31 motoring convictions.
Reckless Gary Nimmo, 29, was high on drugs when he crashed his car into a central reservation and overturned the vehicle.
But bloodied Nimmo crawled from the wreckage and jumped behind the wheel of a bus and sped off after the good samaritan driver stopped to help him.
Police gave chase and arrested Nimmo, from Glasgow, who admitted driving while disqualified and while under the influence of drink or drugs on April 4.
He also admitted stealing a bus and driving it while disqualified and while unfit to do so through drink or drugs at Perth Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis sentenced Nimmo – who was driving while disqualified for the 11th time – to 14 months in prison.
He said the jail term and a lifetime off the road were a ”wholly appropriate” punishment.
Sheriff Foulis said: ”Not only were you driving while disqualified, you were in such a condition you were unable to keep the car on the road.
”As a result it ended up on its roof, with the potential for serious injuries to yourself and other road users.”
Nimmo was driving from Glasgow to Perth on the Craigend to Broxden stretch of the A90 when he smashed into a central reservation barrier.
Depute fiscal John Malpass said witnesses travelling north on the A90 spotted Nimmo’s car on its roof on the southbound carriageway and stopped to assist.
He said: ”They observed the accused exiting the driver’s seat. He shouted at them to get him out of the area.
”Witnesses contacted the emergency services and at the same time a bus [driver] travelling southbound had to stop on the hard shoulder further along.
”All three witnesses spoke with the accused, who was covered in blood.
”The accused indicated there were passengers still within the upturned vehicle and the three witnesses went to see.
”However, the accused did not and as police arrived at the scene they observed the accused make off from the location.”
Officers called for backup when they realised Nimmo had escaped after lying about other passengers being trapped in his car.
The court heard Nimmo appeared unfit to drive through either drink or drugs but could not be tested at the roadside because he had a head wound which needed treatment at Perth Royal Infirmary.
Drug addict Nimmo already had 31 convictions for road traffic offences, many of which saw him imprisoned.
He was banned from driving for 16 years in 2002 and has since been banned for 10 years on four separate occasions.
Two charges of driving without insurance and one of possessing heroin were also levelled at him but not guilty pleas to all were accepted by the Crown.
