A DRUNK mourner who got behind the wheel of a bus in the early hours and drove off has been jailed for two years.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that 42-year-old William Leggat took the bus at Buchanan Street bus station in February.

As the bus lurched along with the hazard lights flashing, two security guards got on board and managed to stop Leggat driving out onto the road.

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They removed him from the bus, but were still struggling with Leggat, who earlier that day had attended his grandmother's funeral, when police arrived on the scene.

In court Leggat, 42, admitted culpable and reckless driving.

His defence lawyer Joanne Gray said: “He was at his grandmother’s funeral and had consumed alcohol and taken strong street valium.

“He has little recollection of the incident but remembers the bus doing a jerking motion.”

Prosecutor Claire Smeaton said: “He pressed the start button for the engine and then activated the hazard lights.

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“The bus began to move off from its static position.”

Two of the bus station’s security guards saw the bus moving towards and noticed it was not an authorised driver.

Leggat was arrested and made no “coherent reply.”

He refused to be breath tested at the scene or give a blood sample at Glasgow Royal Infirmary Miss Smeaton added: “He refused to give a sample and didn’t give a reason for his refusal.”

Police checks showed Leggat was banned from driving.

Leggat was granted bail on February 11, but broke his curfew more than two weeks later when he went out to look for his dog.

Miss Grey said: “His dog had gone out and he went to find it but he knows he shouldn’t have done that.”

Sheriff John McCormick sentenced Leggat to 21 months for the driving offence and three months for the bail offence

He also disqualified Leggat from driving for four years.