A drink-driver who tried to flee police at more than double the speed limit was eventually stopped after police made “tactical contact” with his car.
Allan Tait, 26, led officers on two laps of the harbour and beach area of Aberdeen before they disabled his vehicle by buckling the wheel in a deliberate collision.
Tait, whose address was given in court papers as Kittybrewster Square, Aberdeen, pled guilty to dangerous driving and driving with 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge said: “You must realise you were a huge danger to yourself and to other people. You’ve got two drink-driving convictions so I think it’s time you learned your lesson.”
She banned him from the road for three years and fined him £600. She also imposed 70 hours unpaid work and nine months supervision.
Depute fiscal Brian Young told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police observed Tait’s car in the city centre and attempted to pull it over on Union Street regarding a tax issue.
He said: “Police pulled alongside and instructed the accused to stop.
“At this point the accused accelerated harshly towards Marischal Street. Several members of the public were walking across the road and had to take evasive action to avoid being struck.
“The vehicle continued along Marischal Street, turned left to Regent Quay heading towards the harbour area and did two laps around the harbour area, York Street, Wellington Street and Beach Boulevard.”
He said at one point police recorded Tait’s speed on Beach Boulevard, a 30mph zone, as 75mph.
Tait then “lost control” of the vehicle and it came to rest in the carriageway before he “began to reverse to make efforts to flee”.
Mr Young said: “Police decided to make tactical contact with the front near side of the accused’s vehicle to disable it by buckling the wheel.”
He added this brought matters to a “safe conclusion”.
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Defence lawyer Graham Morrison said: “He’d been drinking with his partner and they’d had a falling out and he’d gone to the car to clear his head and then driven off.”
He added Tait’s grandmother, who he had been very close to, had had health issues around the time of the incident which impacted on him.
“That effected him pretty badly. He wasn’t in a great state of mind,” Mr Morrison said.
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