News / Sparks flew as driver sped off road
A FORMER professional driver who came close to crashing head on into a car with a child passenger lost his licence for a year at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday.
Malcolm Robertson, of Liradale, Walls, admitted dangerous driving on the main A970 at 8.30pm on 25 August last year.
The court heard witnesses said the 41 year old was driving so fast down the hill past Herrislea at Tingwall that his car was bouncing and sparks were flying out of the rear as it touched the road, which was wet with surface water after a sudden downpour.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Robertson was unable to negotiate the bend at the foot of the hill and crossed onto the opposite carriageway in front of an oncoming driver whose son was in the passenger seat.
The fiscal said: “The driver of that car fortunately had his wits about him and he effectively drove to the wrong side of the road to avoid a head on collision.”
Robertson left the road, hit some fencing before careering across the road again, coming off on the other side and then spinning back onto the road pointing in the right direction and speeding off home where he arrived in a state of shock.
The police were contacted immediately and put out a media call for the driver to come forward. His partner persuaded him to hand himself in to Lerwick police station the following day.
Defence agent Neil McRobert produced references from two previous employers, including a taxi firm, for both of whom his client worked as a driver.
He said Robertson insisted he had not been driving any faster than the 60mph speed limit, and that he had new tyres fitted that he had not realised were unsuited to wet conditions. However he accepted he was driving too fast for the state of the road at the time.
He had been extremely shocked and scared by what happened, and had gone back a few days later and arranged for six damaged fence posts to be replaced.
Mr McRobert said that Robertson hopes to go to sea in the next few days in a small fishing boat, and losing his licence would be an inconvenience for him as well as his father who he helps on the croft.
Describing it as “quite an appalling piece of driving” that could have easily caused a fatality, Sheriff Philip Mann said he could not accept at face value that he was within the speed limit.
“I have yet to see a vehicle on a normal road produce sparks and bouncing while travelling on a road at 60mph. It seems to me that you were travelling at a much faster rate than that,” he said.
Taking into account the mitigating circumstances, he fined Robertson £900 and banned him for the minimum of 12 months after which he must sit an extended driving test to regain his licence.
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