A MILTON man attempted to set fire to his car after it had been involved in a crash with a parked vehicle, a court has heard.

John Reilly, 27, appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to several charges.

He admitted that he did drive his car without due car and attention on May 10 on Ashgill Road, He failed to keep the car under control and caused it to collide with a parked vehicle which resulted in damage.

He also culpably and recklessly placed tissue paper in the petrol tank of the car, and attempted to set it on fire. He accepted that by doing this he exposed members of the public to the risk of injury and damage to property.

The final charge which Reilly plead guilty to was failing to provide a specimen of urine at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The Procurator Fiscal depute told the court that Reilly was spotted under the influence prior to getting into his car which he drove.

He then lost control of the car on Ashgill Road and hit a parked vehicle.

The court heard that the impact was such that the car shunted eight feet as a consequence. Reilly’s vehicle also spun 90 degrees.

The owner of the parked car then left their property and words were exchanged with Reilly who left the scene.

He then returned to attempt to set the car on fire and he was stopped by a witness before police arrived.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he failed to provide a urine sample. He told cops when they asked him for the urine sample, “I don’t feel like it.”

The court heard that officers believed Reilly was under the influence of drugs because they could not smell alcohol. His speech was slurred, and his mood was up and down. He was also behaving in an erratic manner.

Reilly’s defence agent told the court that his client was hurt during the crash. He added that his client was extremely remorseful and embarrassed by his actions.

His defence agent said: “Although this offence was extremely serious and he was lucky no harm was done to anyone, this was in fact a cry for help.”

His defence agent added that Reilly was “to his credit” engaging with addiction services.

The Procurator Fiscal depute forwarded a motion for seizure of the vehicle which was denied by sentencing sheriff Diana McConnell.

Sheriff McConnell told Reilly, of Scalpay Street, that custody was an option given the serious nature of the offence.

He, however, avoided jail and was told to complete 120 hours of unpaid work in the community within six months as an alternative to custody.

He was placed under supervision for one year.

He also received a 15 month driving ban.