Car- azy gardener cut down to size

Banned driver simply ordered new licence

A banned drink driver ordered another driving licence and brazenly got behind the wheel again.

Shockingly Daniel Lowther, 40, obtained another licence from the DVLA despite having his original one confiscated.

The van man committed the audacious scam while he was on bail for a dangerous driving charge, Ayr Sheriff Court heard this week.

The landscape gardener was forced to surrender his original licence on March 29 last year at the court as he awaited an appearance in the dock.

But he was caught driving months later on October 1 – blatantly defying his bail conditions.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie jailed him for 18 months and disqualified him for two years.

Sheriff Leslie said: “You applied for a licence and you drove. You did that with the intention of perverting the course of justice. That is a serious charge. There is no escaping that.”

Earlier the court heard how Lowther embarked on a crazy driving spree through streets in Prestwick on March 25 last year.

Police officers who followed him with blue flashing lights even had to abandon the chase for the sake of “public safety,” depute fiscal Stephen McLean told the court.

Lowther drove his Citroen van on the wrong side of the road, straight through roundabouts, skipped a red light, failed to stop when pursued by police officers and crashed into a car on Hunter’s Avenue in Ayr.

Police officers first spotted him erratically changing lanes on the A79 carriage way near Monktonhead Roundabout heading towards Prestwick Airport.

Mr Toal said Lowther “drove into the path of oncoming traffic causing them to brake” on Shawfarm Road.

He went on to hit a speed of 50mph on Adamton Road North.

Mr Toal said the driving “became even more erratic” and described how he skipped red lights at the juction of Hunters’ Avenue and Heathfield Road in Ayr.

Meanwhile, 71- year- old pensioner Ronald Cameron was faced with Lowther driving towards him head on on Hunters Avenue.

Mr Toal said: “Mr Cameron had to make an emergency stop to avoid a collision.” But the van still knocked off the left side mirror.

Illiterate Lowther drove on and hit another parked car before abandoning his vehicle and legging it into Northfield Park.

Officers ran after him but on taking him to Ayr Police office, Lowther refused to be breathalysed.

The court heard the Kilmarnock prisoner had no recollection of the dangerous driving charge.

Lowther admitted dangerous driving on a number of roads on March 25, and refusing to provide two specimens of breath later on at Ayr Police Office. He also pled guilty to failing to remain at his bail address on March 26 and admitted applying for a second licence from the DVLA and driving on October 1. He pled guilty to failing to attend the police office as part of his bail conditions on May 21 and October 31.

Sheriff Leslie said he had no other option but to jail Lowther.