A RECKLESS driver tried to escape from police on three tyres during a car chase through Balloch.

Matthew Moore was slammed for his “deplorable” driving when he appeared in court – and was told to “grow up” by a sheriff.

Moore appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on November 2 for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to driving dangerously and while drunk.

The 22-year-old admitted driving at 60 miles an hour with only three tyres on his car in a bid to get away from police.

Fiscal depute Heather Galbraith told the hearing that at 2am on April 1, 2020 Moore was driving to Alexandria southbound on the A82, but that after turning off on to the Renton slip road, he lost control and drove over the central reservation into a barrier.

The two front bumper grills came off his car and were left on the roadside, while the front offside tyre was also damaged.

Moore kept on driving, with the bumper scraping the road and his tyre blown – and the tyre eventually came off.

Around 15 minutes later police saw sparks coming from Moore’s vehicle and activated their blue lights.

But Moore accelerated away, reaching 60mph on Drymen Road, with sparks flying off the metal wheel.

Smoke soon started to billow from the engine and the car broke down.

Police removed Moore from the vehicle and noticed a strong smell of alcohol. He failed a roadside breath test and was taken to the police station, where he gave a breath sample with 38 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.

The legal limit in Scotland is 22 microgrammes.

Sentence had been deferred to allow social workers to prepare a background report.

Brian McGuire, defending, said: “There is reference to a sense of stupidity in this report and that is undoubtedly the situation. The only options are quite clearly a custodial sentence or not.

“I have explained to him that if it goes any further with this on his record, then he would find himself in a very difficult situation. He knows full well what his limited options are.”

Sheriff David Hall said: “This is a deplorable piece of driving. I don’t know what you were thinking. How can you get away from police in a car with only three wheels?

“You really need to grow up. I think that’s your problem. With some hesitation I will allow you to remain at liberty.”

The sheriff disqualified Moore, of Victoria Place, Oban, from holding or obtaining a licence for three years.

He was also handed a community payback order with two years of social work supervision, and must do 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 18 months.