Reckless driver had suffered black outs

Man jailed after weaving across motorway

A Bellshill driver who weaved from lane to lane on a busy motorway after blacking out has been jailed for two years.

David Collum had been referred to a brain specialist just days earlier and knew that he shouldn’t have been behind the wheel. He was also a disqualified driver. Fortunately, no one was injured as Collum managed to drive 18 miles from Whitburn in West Lothian to Motherwell before police caught up with him.

Collum (29), of Liberty Road, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted culpable and reckless conduct by driving on the M8 and in Merry Street, Motherwell, on May 20, while knowing he was prone to episodes of losing consciousness. He also admitted driving while disqualified. The court heard he was seen driving at excess speed, swerving across the motorway lanes and at one point veering on to the grass verge.

Callum Forsyth, prosecuting, told the court that the incident had happened on a Sunday afternoon.

Retired police officer Andrew Hackett was driving a minibus of Belgian tourists from Edinburgh Airport when he noticed Collum’s Ford Fiesta being driven in an “erratic” manner.

Mr Forsyth told the court: “He was so concerned he dialled 999 and provided the police with updates, following the Fiesta to Motherwell.

“Traffic officers then located it at a car wash in Merry Street.

“Collum said he had been working in Edinburgh and was in Motherwell to pick up his girlfriend.

“Police didn’t form the view that he was in any way intoxicated, but checks revealed he was a disqualified driver and he was arrested.

“Then he told officers he suffered from seizures and might have blacked out while he was driving.

“Further inquiries established that 10 days previously he had been at his GP to complain about blackouts.

The GP had referred him to neurologist.”

Defence agent Vincent Mcgovern said Collum was examined by a neurologist at Wishaw General Hospital in June.

The solicitor added: “The specialist was unable to make a definitive diagnosis, but believed he could have a condition that causes him to fall asleep without warning.

“A subsequent MRI scan returned clear, but there is still no diagnosis. He has been referred a to a sleep clinic in Glasgow.” Mr Mcgovern stressed that the doctor had never warned Collum not to drive, but accepted the point was academic as he had never held a licence and shouldn’t have been behind the wheel, fit to drive or not.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Shiona Waldron pointed out that Collum has two previous convictions for dangerous driving, three for driving while disqualified and six for going behind the wheel without insurance.

She told him: “I’m afraid, giving your driving history, there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

The sheriff reduced the sentence from 32 months to 24 because of his early guilty plea and backdated it, as Collum has been in custody since his arrest in May.

He was also banned from driving for another nine years, reduced from 12 years because of his guilty pleas.