Case against young driver not proven

A VERDICT of not proven was given after the trial of a driver who had allegedly driven without due care on Hall Street, Campbeltown.

Cameron Scott Miller, 22, 193 Ralston Road, Campbeltown, was stopped by police on August 14 last year having allegedly lost control of his vehicle as it drove around the roundabout, at the ferry terminal end of Hall Street.

At the trial in Campbeltown Sheriff Court on Tuesday police sergeants Michael Wilson and John Nutt both gave evidence, with Sergeant Wilson describing that he saw Cameron in his car ‘travelling fast, in my own judgement what seemed to be in excess of 30mph.

‘As it approached the roundabout, the car was heavily leaning over onto its tyres and the rear end skidded over the roundabout. The car then took a wider stance exiting the roundabout by the nearside kerb, nearly hitting it.’

Procurator fiscal Eoin McGinty said: ‘This was not the crime of the century, but skidding means a loss of control.

‘From the manner of the driving, it is crystal clear from police evidence that the driver loses control of the vehicle and at that point he is no longer driving responsibly.’

No evidence

The defendant’s solicitor, in summing up, said: ‘The vehicle did not strike the kerb, it did not breach the white lines, there were no other vehicles involved and there is no concrete evidence of a loss of control.

‘There is no evidence from the officers of a loss of control and he may have been driving more quickly because there were no other vehicles on the road.’

Sheriff Ruth Anderson QC declared the case ‘not proven’ and said: ‘I have some doubts on all the evidence given, and as such I cannot find beyond doubt the defendants guilt.’