A MAN caught drinking while driving crashed his car into another vehicle before threatening the other driver with a hammer.

Gerald Stuart brought traffic to a standstill after veering across the road and smashing into another car.

He then hit a trailer and, in a rage caused by the keys to his vehicle being taken, chased down the street brandishing the weapon.

But Glasgow’s Sheriff Court was told by Stuart’s defence brief that he was too drunk to remember the incident.

On March 26 last year around 1.45p, the court heard Stuart was spotted driving on the wrong side of the road on Castlemilk Drive.

He was heading towards another vehicle but swerved again towards the north side of the road before colliding with the driver’s side of another car.

He then hit a trailer.

Witnesses then saw Stuart attempt to drive off but was unable to move due to the damage to his vehicle.

Other witnesses travelling along Ardencraig Road saw the 36-year-old continue to try to move his vehicle.

Depute fiscal Ramsay Cunningham told the court: “Witnesses observed the accused exiting the vehicle.

“Witnesses walked down towards the accused who was confronting the other driver in the street by brandishing a hammer.

“The witness ran over to the accused’s vehicle and took the key from the ignition so the accused could not drive off.

“The accused chased him with the hammer.

“This was observed by passengers of the car.”

Another vehicle then pulled up and Stuart got inside before being driven away from the scene.

Police who arrived on the scene said the victim who had been chased with the hammer was “extremely upset and frightened”.

An open can of Strongbow Dark Fruits was found in the driver’s door of Stuart’s car.

The hammer was also seen inside the vehicle.

Mr Cunningham said: “All witnesses stated they were of the view the accused was under the influence due to his speech and movement.

Police obtained his identity from his father-in-law.”

Officers went to his home address where he was arrested and taken to Cathcart police station. Stuart, from Castlemilk, refused to give a sample of breath.

The court heard he told police: “You can’t even do your job right, you never caught me driving.”

In reply to caution and charge he said: “That motor hit me. It drove away.”

Stuart’s defence brief said: “This is a serious matter, I don’t seek to detract from that. His behaviour on this particular day was obviously caused through drinking alcohol and he doesn’t remember chasing after the complainer with a hammer.

“The other driver has taken the keys out of the ignition, and that has irked him and that is his explanation for that, albeit not a very satisfactory one.”

Sheriff Jonathan Guy gave Stuart a tag, keeping him at home between 8pm and 6am for 136 days.

He was fined £225 plus a £20 victim surcharge and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Sheriff Guy said: “I recognise this is serious behaviour on your part and the behaviour in respect of brandishing a hammer, I regard that as particularly serious.”