‘Horrendous piece of driving’ leads to prison

A good samaritan who picked up a hungry hitchhiker has been locked up for eight months for dangerous driving in Cambuslang.

James McCulloch hit the headlines after he posted a clip of himself helping hitchhiker Quentin Henderson in Stirling last month.

McCulloch, from East Kilbride, admitted a charge of dangerous driving on June 14 last year during an incident on Glasgow Road and other roads in Cambuslang as well as in East Kilbride.

McCulloch, of Kentmere Drive, pled guilty to failing to stop for a marked police car, driving in excess of the speed limit, failing to comply with road markings, straddling the opposing carriageway, stopping suddenly and abruptly, driving without lights on an unlit carriageway and colliding with another car.

The 25-year-old also admitted driving while only holding a provisional licence and charges of driving without insurance and being in possession of cannabis resin on June 14.

Sheriff Vincent Smith said: “This was a horrendous piece of driving over an extensive period of time, covering a substantial distance, and is at the top end as far as seriousness is concerned.”

On top of the eight-month jail sentence McCulloch was fined £810 and banned from driving for 36 months.