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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Wick
    Posts
    3,518

    Default Dangerous driver

    Tried to overtake traffic at double bend

    A YOUNG driver who started to overtake a line of cars at a double bend could have caused serious injury or death said a sheriff describing his actions as "appalling".
    Unemployed Steven O' Brien, 24, decided to abort the manoeuvre and pulled back to his own side of the road. However, he was only able to do so, safely, because the vehicle behind him braked hard, to create the necessary space, Wick Sheriff Court was told.
    O' Brien admitted a charge of dangerous driving and a record. He was ordered to carry out 66 hours of unpaid work in the community and was banned for 16 months.
    The incident took place at a crossroads on the A836 Dounreay-Thurso road on April 15, at the Hill of Forss crossroads and was captured by another driver's dashboard camera.
    As that driver was about to negotiate the first of the double-bends, he was overtaken by a blue-coloured vehicle driven by O' Brien who had 11 penalty points on his licence at the time.
    Fiscal Fraser Matheson said: "It seems that the accused attempted to complete the manoeuvre but the line of traffic in front of him, started to slow down and indeed stopped, to allow a the vehicle at the front to turn left. It appears that O' Brien either panicked or took fright and pulled back into the small space available. The car behind had to brake hard enough to cause the air brake system to activate. Its driver later called at Thurso police station to report the incident and handed over the camera footage he had taken of the incident".
    Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that O' Brien had made "a serious error of judgement" and added that the loss of the licence would cause him difficulties in his job-hunting efforts.
    Sheriff Andrew Berry described O'Brien's driving and record as "appalling". The sheriff said that during a three-years period the accused had committed road traffic offences attracting 11 points on his licence, and knowing he had the current dangerous driving to face, was caught speeding and banned for four months.
    Sheriff Berry exclaimed "It is absolutely incredible. Perhaps it is only by good fortune, in respect of this case that no-one was seriously harmed or indeed killed."
    The sheriff warned O' Brien, of 83 Grieveship West, Stromness, that if he were to return to court on a future occasion, on a further road traffic offence, it would be "highly likely" he would face a prison sentence.
    At the end of his disqualification, O' Brien, who previously lived in the village of Halkirk, will have to apply to the DVLA for a licence to sit an extended driving test and must pass it, before he can return to the road.















    Last edited by Nwicker60; 26-Nov-16 at 09:22.

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