Police found knuckleduster in disqualified Elgin delivery driver's car
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AN Elgin resident who started work as a delivery driver a month after being disqualified has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Pawel Pieronkiewicz, of Covesea Road in Elgin, was stopped by police officers while driving on the A96 between Elgin and Forres at around 11.15pm on July 10 last year.
When officers approached the vehicle they found Pieronkiewicz in the driver's seat and observed a bag of food accompanied by receipts next to him.
They concluded that the 35-year-old was a delivery driver but Pieronkiewicz could not produce his driving licence claiming he didn't have it with him.
Subsequent checks showed that Pieronkiewicz had been disqualified from driving just one month prior.
One officer also noticed a brass knuckleduster on the driver's side of the vehicle.
Defence solicitor Stephen Carty told Elgin Sheriff Court that his client had owned the vehicle, which was uninsured, for two weeks at the time of the incident.
Mr Carty said that the knuckleduster had been in the vehicle when Pieronkiewicz bought it but that his client accepts that he should have discarded the weapon.
He added that Pieronkiewicz was unemployed when he was offered work as a delivery driver.
Sheriff David Harvie said: "If I'm to believe all of this why did he buy the vehicle two weeks before and where did he get the money?
"These are all lies that he is telling you Mr Carty."
Mr Carty said that Pieronkiewicz had bought the vehicle for £400 and was hopeful of selling it on for a profit.
"It was not his intention to use it initially, he wanted to pass on money to his former partner and their five children," Mr Carty added.
Sheriff Harvie said: "You were driving four weeks after being disqualified. That was directly in the face of a court order telling you not to drive.
"You were uninsured and to compound matters you had a knuckleduster.
"Your record of driving offences puts you on the cusp of a custodial sentence.
"Do not break another order of the court."
Sheriff Harvie ordered Pieronkiewicz to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
He imposed a restriction of liberty order which will require Pieronkiewicz to stay within his home between the hours of 9pm and 7am every day for the next two months.
He will also be the subject of a supervision order for one year and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
