A man stole an ambulance that had been called to treat his pregnant girlfriend – then led police on a 40-mile pursuit across the north-east.
Graham Ellis was acquitted in court of assaulting his partner at an address on Wellpark, Kemnay, but the 40-year-old admitted stealing the ambulance that had been called to treat her.
Ellis, who was over the legal alcohol limit at the time, then led stunned police officers on a dangerous pursuit across Aberdeenshire and Moray before a stinger was finally deployed to bring the episode to a halt.
Later, when asked by cops why he took the ambulance, he replied: “I was in trouble anyway, so thought why not?”
Ambulance crashed into bridge
During the pursuit Ellis failed to stop for police, repeatedly drove through blind corners on the wrong side of the road and repeatedly swerved into the path of oncoming vehicles, causing them to take evasive action.
At one point he also collided with the parapet of a bridge, leaving it damaged.
Jail sentence ‘inevitable’
Ellis previously pled guilty to charges of theft, dangerous driving, drink-driving, driving with an expired licence and without insurance over the incident, which happened on November 18 last year.
He drove the ambulance with 32 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.
He also admitted breaching a non-harassment order.
Ellis had faced a further charge of assault to injury on his pregnant girlfriend, which he denied.
And following a trial, a remote jury, situated nearby at the Vue cinema on Shiprow, found the case against him not proven by majority, and Ellis was acquitted.
Sentence was deferred on Ellis, described in court papers as a prisoner of HMP Grampian, until next month for reports, but the court heard he will face a jail sentence in due course.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Ellis: “These are serious charges. I understand you accept it is inevitable a custodial sentence will be imposed.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Stealing an ambulance is a deplorable act. It is vital that ambulances are available to respond to emergencies.”
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