Gary Brown was told he had an "atrocious criminal record"
A driver who was traced by DNA from his hair embedded in a windscreen six months after crashing into a wall has been given a community sentence.
Gary Brown took a friend's car without permission on New Year's Day 2015 before crashing it and running off.
The 26-year-old, from Arbroath, was sentenced to 280 hours of unpaid work.
He was also disqualified from driving for four years and ordered to pay £200 compensation to the owner of the property whose wall was damaged.
Brown previously admitted a series of driving charges during an appearance at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The court heard that witnesses contacted police after seeing the car being driven erratically at about 04:00 in Arbroath.
Brown was later seen running away from the vehicle.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie told a previous court hearing: "Police attended and a forensic examination took place finding tufts of hair in the cracked windscreen, which appeared to have been headbutted by the driver upon impact, and under the dashboard.
"The accused was traced at home on 29 June due to forensic analysis."
'Atrocious criminal record'
Solicitor Grant Bruce, defending, said: "Looking at his record, his lifestyle could only be described as criminal.
"Since he has been released from prison, he has changed his ways."
Sheriff Alastair Brown told Brown: "You have an atrocious criminal record and the obvious and normal sentence for taking somebody's car without permission and driving it dangerously is one of several years imprisonment.
"The only thing that can be said for you is this happened two years ago. Things have moved on for you.
"There was a delay in you appearing in court on petition and a very substantial delay in getting the case in to court.
"For that reason only I will deal with this by a community payback order."
