Sheriff spares driver who ran over road marshal

A retired farmer described as the “backbone” of a church ladies’ baking group was spared by a sheriff yesterday after recklessly ramming a road cone and scooping a cycle race marshal onto his car bonnet.

The marshal, Paul Brady was carried along for six feet on Robert Inglis’ Mercedes and left with back injuries.

Inglis, 83, had been running supplies of flour, eggs and sugar to a baking marquee in the village of Avonbridge, Stirlingshire, set up by the church ladies, to supply drinks and traybakes to participants in the Pedal for Scotland Classic Challenge.

He clashed with event official Mr Brady, 58, over a road closure.

Michael Maguire, prosecuting, said: “A road which the accused wanted to get down had been closed off with cones and he couldn’t.

Inglis drove forward, striking and running over one of the cones and “causing” Mr Brady, to “strike the bonnet” and then to be carried for a short distance.

Inglis, of Slamannan Road, Avonbridge, admitted injuring Mr Brady on September 11 last year through culpable and reckless conduct.

His pleas of not guilty to driving dangerously and failing to stop after colliding with a pedestrian were accepted by the Crown. Sheriff John Mundy opted not to proceed to conviction, and granted Inglis an absolute discharge.

Robert Inglis.