A former finance director and accomplished piper, Jonathan Greenlees, faced significant legal repercussions after causing damage to multiple parked vehicles while under the influence of alcohol in Crieff, Perthshire. This incident occurred on the evening of April 14, and Greenlees was later found to have a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
According to reports from The Courier (Dundee), Greenlees, aged 51, had been enjoying an evening of wine and dining with colleagues at the Crieff Hydro resort prior to the incident. He drove his electric Polestar vehicle in a reckless manner, striking four stationary cars and narrowly missing others in the process. His vehicle's emergency alert system notified authorities as the collisions unfolded, which reportedly lasted around half an hour and is estimated to have resulted in thousands of pounds of damage.
When police located Greenlees, he appeared unaware of the events that had transpired, stating, “I didn’t think there was any crash but I was the driver.” Despite having no memory of leaving the hotel or driving, he confirmed to officers that he was not injured.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Hodgson detailed how Greenlees's actions had not only endangered his own safety but also posed a risk to the public. Residents in the vicinity were alerted to the situation by the sounds of the collisions, leading them to investigate and subsequently call emergency services. Hodgson noted that Greenlees struck one vehicle multiple times during the spree.
In his defence, solicitor Jim Brady attributed the incident to a combination of alcohol and an unusual reaction to medication that Greenlees had been taking for nearly two years. Brady argued that this was an exceptional occurrence and that his client would normally refrain from driving after consuming any alcohol. He stated that Greenlees was unaware of his level of intoxication, claiming he had consumed around four to five glasses of wine throughout the evening.
Sheriff Alison McKay, during the court proceedings, acknowledged the seriousness of the charges, indicating that Greenlees's actions demonstrated a high level of dangerous driving. She remarked, “These are serious offences and I am not going to deal with them today,” before deferring the sentence for background reports and banning him from driving in the interim.
Greenlees resigned from his position as finance director at SecuriGroup, a major security firm in the UK, just one day after the incident. An accomplished piper, he had previously garnered awards, including the title of best overall piper at the 2015 Royal National Mod in Oban. The implications of his actions and the subsequent legal proceedings continue to unfold.
Source: Noah Wire Services