Court / Dangerous driver left stunned by jail sentence after high-speed police pursuit
A NORTH Lanarkshire man who was “driving like a maniac” to evade police during a high-speed pursuit laughed when he was told he would be sent to jail.
But 47-year-old Samuel Duncan, from Gartcosh, was left stunned after hearing he would spend 20 months behind bars, exclaiming “what?” as his sentence was read out.
Duncan had admitted driving dangerously at grossly excessive speeds through Walls, Bixter and Aith on 1 July 2023 as he attempted to escape police capture.
He not only did this while banned from driving, but while also out on three separate bail orders.
And Lerwick Sheriff Court heard Duncan drove at speeds exceeding 80mph on a number of single carriageway roads that were so drenched in surface water that police gave up their pursuit due to safety concerns.
Duncan appeared via video-link from Addiewell prison, having been arrested on a separate matter, and made his feelings known about the case throughout proceedings.
As Sheriff Ian Cruickshank read out Duncan’s sentence he was heard to grunt, to which the sheriff replied: “I’ll try not keep you much longer Mr Duncan.”
And after he answered “what?” to his prison sentence, the sheriff said: “Yes, you’re now getting the message”.
Solicitor Ian Brechany, defending Duncan, had asked for sentencing to be deferred until his other court case could be dealt with next week.
He said that would allow for all sentencing options to be made available to the sheriff.
But Sheriff Cruickshank said he could not see any alternative to a custodial sentence, which lead Duncan to laugh.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie had already given a narration of the case last July, but he was asked to provide it again given the time between the cases being called.
Duncan was not present at a hearing in July 2024 because he was in hospital, with a warrant for his arrest later issued.
Mackenzie said Duncan’s journey was around 10 miles long, with the majority of roads he drove on being single carriageway and some – through Aith, Walls and Bixter – being 30mph limits.
“These are not roads that can be driven on at high speed in benign conditions,” he told the court.
“The conditions were anything but benign, there were large quantities of standing water.”
Police spotted Duncan’s Audi in Aith and, acting on specific intelligence about controlled substances, went to approach him.
But when they did so Duncan sped off, and despite a police vehicle reaching speeds in excess of 80mph Duncan was still pulling away.
Police decided to abandon the pursuit in the interests of safety given the road conditions, but were able to see in the distance Duncan heading into Walls.
They followed him there and found him parked between the post office and shop.
One police car was parked across the road to attempt to stop him from driving off again, with the sirens turned on, and Duncan was told to remain where he was.
Instead, Duncan mounted the grass verge and sped off again at excessive speed, putting “considerable distance” between himself and the police.
Police stopped a car that had pulled in to allow Duncan to pass on a single-track road to ask where he had gone, with the driver telling them he was “driving like a maniac”.
After a search police found Duncan’s Audi abandoned in a graveyard car-park.
He was eventually traced weeks later and, when told of the charges, he told police: “Just the usual sh*te”.
Brechany said that Duncan had “panicked” when approached by police, admitting his reaction was “extreme”.
Asked by the sheriff why Duncan would need to panic when approached by police, Brechany said he maybe feared there would be “repercussions for that stop”.
Duncan’s solicitor said he wanted to apologise for incident, adding the best way forward for him was probably to “say little about the nature of driving”.
Sheriff Cruickshank said Duncan’s driving “could easily have led to a fatality”, adding: “Thankfully it did not”.
He said Duncan had driven in the full knowledge that he was already disqualified and out on bail too.
Duncan was told that, because he had been subject to bail, the sentences available to the sheriff could be increased.
And Sheriff Cruickshank said he had “no hesitation” in imposing the maximum sentence on Duncan.
He was jailed for 20 months from today’s date, and banned from driving for a total of eight years and 10 months.
Duncan again exclaimed “what?” when told of his driving ban.
He will have to sit the extended driving test of competence to be able to regain his licence.
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