Man torched work car after drunken crash

A MAN torched his work car and claimed it had been stolen after crashing it following a drinking session.

Stephen Readman, 26, feared he would lose his job because of the crash in Edinburgh and, in a bizarre cover-up attempt, set fire to the vehicle and reported it stolen to police.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Readman, of Hartlepool, was fined 200, disqualified from driving for a year and ordered to carry out 180 hours of community service.

He had pleaded guilty previously to failing to stop after an accident, failing to report it to the police, wilfully setting fire to the vehicle and wasting police time. Sentence had been deferred for background reports.

Readman was staying at the Mosshall Caravan Park in Blackburn on July 11 when he drove into Edinburgh and visited several pubs.

As he started the return journey, he collided with a parked car in Lauriston Gardens. That car rolled forward and hit another parked car, knocking its bumper off. Readman left the car in nearby Brougham Street and went to another pub. About 1am on July 12, a police patrol discovered the vehicle on fire.

At 4am, Readman phoned the police to say the vehicle had been stolen. He later admitted what had really happened.