A PRISONER given early release because of COVID-19 was caught drink-driving just days later.

Craig Marshall, 30, from Kirkcaldy, had lost control of his car and crashed into a kerb after speeding through Cardenden.

The former serviceman, of Church Street, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that that on April 19, at Main Street, Cardenden, he drove a car without due care and attention and at excessive speed, failed to negotiate a bend safely and collided with a kerb, causing damage to the vehicle.

He also admitted he was driving after consuming excess alcohol. His reading was 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 22 microgrammes.

He also drove without insurance.

Depute fiscal Sanah Idrees told the court that at 6.45pm, two witnesses saw a car travelling at speed in Cardenden then failing to negotiate a bend and hit the kerb.

The car, which was being driven by Marshall, had come to a halt in the middle of the road.

“He got out of the vehicle and appeared to be staggering,” added the depute.

Another witness was in his back garden when he heard a screech and loud bang. He saw the accused’s car in the middle of the road with a damaged wheel.

“The accused attempted to drive off but could not. He appeared to be laughing,” said the depute.

Police were called and Marshall was arrested after refusing to take a roadside breath test.

Defence solicitor Joe Boyd said: “He had been released from jail early on 15th April because of the pandemic. On this day, he had driven to see a friend in Kirkcaldy and was going back to Cardenden.

“He had been drinking in the friend’s flat. In his mind, he’d only taken a couple of beers and thought he would be okay to drive.

“He took a chance and thought he could get away with it. He fully accepts he took a risk and was caught.

“He lost control of the vehicle. He called a recovery specialist to come and assist but didn’t call the police because he felt quite panicked.”

On the matter of why Marshall was seen laughing after the crash, Mr Boyd said his client suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety from his time in the army, including service during the conflict in Iraq.

Sheriff James MacDonald warned Marshall he could be sent back to jail to serve the rest of his previous jail term as well as being sentenced for this latest incident.

He called for reports and Marshall will be sentenced on September 9. He was placed on bail with a home curfew between 9pm to 6am until then and the sheriff told him: “You would be well advised to get your affairs in order before you are sentenced.”