Inverness teenage driver injured girls
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AN Inverness teenager sped along a country road, crashed into a field and overturned his car, seriously injuring two teenage girls.
It was the disqualified driver’s fourth drink-drive offence and Inverness Sheriff Court was told he was on bail at the time for two similar charges.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified after Sheriff Sara Matheson refused to lift his legally-entitled anonymity, was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit when he was breathlaysed by police.
The first sample was given in hospital shortly after the crash outside Nairn, near Little Kildrummie, on December 10 last year.
However, at Inverness Sheriff Court, he admitted a lesser reading of 31mcgs, just above the 22mcgs limit, provided two hours after the first test.
The teenager also admitted causing serious injury to the two girls, aged 17 and 14, by dangerous driving. They suffered fractured vertebrae and ribs.
Fiscal depute David Morton told the court that the weather conditions were wet and the road was covered in loose chippings.
Mr Morton said that the accused had driven from Inverness to Beauly and was on his way to Nairn when the incident occurred.
One of the driver’s passengers told police that their friend had been driving his 15-year-old Renault Laguna fast throughout the day, taking corners in a 60mph zone at 70mph or 80mph. The other casualty estimated his speed at the crash scene at 35-40mph.
The court heard that he also passed a jogger at speed without slowing down.
But he lost control on a sharp bend near the B9091, crossed to the other side of the carriageway and careered through a fence. The vehicle went 20 feet down an embankment before overturning in a field.
All three occupants were able to climb out and were assisted by the jogger.
Defence solicitor Rory Gowans submitted a letter written by his client to the court. It read that he was sorry, and that he had been stupid.
It went on: “It gave me a big scare. The car landed on its roof. I could have died.”
Sentence was deferred until April 28 for a background report and he was remanded in custody, despite Mr Gowan’s appeal for his client to be released on bail.
Sheriff Matheson said that a custodial sentence was likely.
