Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Spider Ned’ caused £8,550 of damage
A DRIVER once dubbed “Spider Ned” caused £8,550 wor t h of da mage a fte r crashing into three vehicles.
Connor McLeod, 23, tried to run away from police after colliding with two vans and scraping a car in Charleston last April.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard McLeod was caught driving while disqualified on Buttar’s Loan after being recognised by officers.
After spotting the police, McLeod then attempted to speed away to avoid them, overtaking a number of vehicles in the process.
Fiscal depute Marie Irvine said: “They (police officers) immediately recognised the accused. There was also a male and female in the vehicle. Officers knew he was disqualified. The accused became aware police were attempting to turn to follow him.
“He was then observed to accelerate and drive on the opposite side of the road, overtaking several vehicles and into the path of oncoming traffic. He lost control of the car and collided with two vehicles before coming to a stop.”
McLeod caused £8,550 worth of damage and also had his own car written off in the incident.
McLeod, of Ladywell Avenue, ran away from the scene before he was later traced by police. The court heard a Ford Transit van suffered nearly £4,500 worth of damage while costs to repair a Renault van totalled £3,800. A woman also had £250 worth of damage caused to her car after McLeod scraped it while he was overtaking her.
McLeod earned the “Spider Ned” moniker when he climbed down the outside of a 14-storey tower block to evade police in 2011.
He lived up to this name in 2015 when he scaled the roof of a property on Cobden Court in Lochee and in a two-hour stand-off hurled roof tiles and other items at police.
Last November he was jailed for 22 months for scaling a ledge before shoving a door at police on South Road in August last year.
Appearing from custody, McLeod pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving dangerously on Buttar’s Loan on April 21 by colliding with a car, driving into the path of oncoming traffic and striking two other cars.
Solicitor Kevin Hampton said it was McLeod’s last outstanding case and he was due to be released from Perth Prison in July.
Sheriff Gregor Murray sentenced him to a further 135 days in prison and disqualified him for a further 14 months and ordered him to re-sit an extended driving test.