AN Ayrshire man took a taxi home after a night on the town in Saltcoats - without the driver.
He found the door open, the keys in the ignition, and the engine running but the driver missing, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court was told yesterday.
The cab driver emerged from his company office in time to see his vehicle being driven away in the direction of Kilwinning.
When police traced the cab soon afterwards they saw 20-year-old Kenneth Allan at the wheel and gave chase.
Approaching a local park, Allan deliberately rammed a set of locked iron gates, causing them to burst open, depute-fiscal Debbie Carroll told the court.
He then abandoned the car and ran off through neighbouring gardens, crossing walls and fences in his bid for freedom.
Pursuing officers were defeated by a barbed wire fence and called in reinforcements by radio.
These were waiting in Saltcoats Road as Allan emerged. Stopped and questioned, he protested his innocence despite breathing heavily and having cuts on his hands from crossing the barbed wire fence.
He was found to have drunk more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit for drivers when breath-tested,
At earlier hearings, Allan, of Ladyford Avenue, Kilwinning, maintained his innocence, claiming police were blaming the wrong man.
But in court for trial yesterday he admitted stealing the taxi, driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance, failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident, and a drink driving charge.
``As soon as he was confronted with the evidence he admitted it,'' said defence solicitor Andrew Glencross. ``Unfortunately that was not until last Friday.''
However, Allan had already earned a rebuke from Sheriff David Smith for failing to bring his licence to court as required.
The case had been put back and the court kept waiting for more than an hour while he fetched it from home.
Calling for background reports, Sheriff Smith ordered Allan to be remanded in custody.
``I'm not going to grant bail,'' he said. ``He waited until the morning of his trial to plead guilty, wasting witnesses' time. He did not bring his licence to court as required, and he ran away when the police saw him.''
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