Roads ban for man who saw police and panicked leading to chase through Inverness
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A MAN has been banned from the roads for two-and-a-half years after nearly striking a policeman with his car during a frantic dash around the Highland capital.
Fraser Plaice (33) carried out a string of highly dangerous manoeuvres on busy roads as he fled from the law, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
As well as nearly striking the constable on the pavement he also drove at speed, collided with a police car and caused it to veer into the opposite carriageway, into the path of another oncoming vehicle.
During the incident on the night of February 11 he also drove around a traffic island the wrong way, drove through mulitple red lights and give way signs and drove in the opposite carriageway and without his headlights on.
The rampage occurred on several main roads in the city including Culduthel Road and Old Edinburgh Road and was sparked after Plaice encountered the police while behind the wheel and “panicked”.
The court had heard previously that the father-of-four had had his driving licence revoked on medical grounds since the incident took place.
As well as the above offences Plaice also admitted driving with cannabis derivatives in his system on a separate occasion.
The court heard tests later showed a concentration of 6.7mcg of the drug’s compounds per litre of blood when he was stopped on the city’s Riverside Street on January 4, 2021.
The legal limit is two mcg.
The court was told that he had taken the class B drug several hours earlier and thought he was fit to drive.
Addressing the cannabis charge, Sheriff Robert Frazer disqualified Plaice, of Varrich Crescent, Inverness, from driving for 12 months. He also fined him £225.
For dangerous driving Plaice was disqualified for 30 months and ordered to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work in the community.
He will have to sit an extended driving test to get his licence back when the ban expires.
