Fleeing driver chased by cop
Sean Blair
A Perth man legged it when he was pulled over by police in the early hours of New Year’s Day after he was spotted driving erratically on the notorious A9, dubbed Scotland’s “most dangerous road.”
Thirty-year-old Sean Blair exited his car, climbed over the central barrier and ran across the other carriageway before scrambling over a wall and taking off into a field.
But a police officer gave chase and apprehended him after pursuing him for a quarter of a mile.
Blair, of Campsie Road, was “smelling strongly of alcohol” - and checks revealed he was a disqualified driver and had no insurance.
Later tests showed he had been behind the wheel with almost four times the legal booze limit.
The accused, who was jailed for fourand-a-half years at Edinburgh High Court in 2013 for attacking a soldier “to the danger of his life,” was given eight months behind bars when he appeared for sentence at Perth Sheriff Court this week.
He was also banned for a further six years after he admitted driving on the Dunblane-Perth road, at Windyedge, on January 1, 2018, with 74 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath. The maximum allowed is 22.
That was his third conviction for driving with excess alcohol.
He also drove while disqualified and had no insurance for the car.
A not guilty plea was accepted to a fourth charge of taking and driving away the vehicle without the owner’s consent.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said police were on patrol shortly after 4am when they saw the car swerving between the nearside and centre lines on the road.
“They activated their blue light and stopped the accused. But he got out the car and ran across the carriageway.”
Solicitor Billy Somerville said: “He has to accept he was detained some distance away.
“He’s sickened by his behaviour and the effect it will have on his partner.”
Blair was “unsure” what the parole board would do concerning the latest offences - he was subject to supervision for two years after his release - and to date he hadn’t been recalled to prison.
The lawyer asked that he be given a Community Payback Order as a “direct alternative” to prison.
But Sheriff William Wood said given all the circumstances, including his extended sentence from the High Court, custody was merited.
Blair, along with his younger brother Gavin, were both given four-and-ahalf-year sentences at Edinburgh High Court on May 13, 2013, after violently attacking the squaddie in a hostel in the capital and trying to choke him with a belt.
The court was told that after the drink-fuelled assault on 23-year-old Lee Clark, a soldier based at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh, they abandoned their unconscious victim and went to a nightclub.
Mr Clark had been attacked after he complained one of the pair was being “inappropriate” with his girlfriend.
The brothers - Sean was 25 and Gavin was 23 at the time - admitted assaulting Mr Clark to his severe injury and to the danger of his life.
The pair had originally faced an allegation of attempted murder and that the incident in Edinburgh city centre had been racially aggravated.
However, prosecutors accepted their guilty pleas to the reduced charge.
Both accused took multiple kicks and stamps to the victim’s head and body and he was later discovered unconscious with boot marks across his face and neck.
The victim suffered a perforated eardrum and bruising and swelling following the attack. police headquarters that he required immediate medical attention, depriving others of the ambulance service member’s services.
Wright also pled guilty to a similar charge by pretending to the PRI staff nurse that he was ill, preventing her from assessing others who were awaiting treatment.
Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie said Wright had fallen asleep in the taxi.
When he was wakened up and asked for the fare, he got out of the cab and shouted: “What are you going to do about it?”
The accused then punched the car window and he was taken to police headquarters.
Shortly afterwards, he appeared to lose consciousness and was put in the his arms in an attempt to break free from officers who had restrained him.
And as he was being escorted downstairs, he kicked out at two of them.
He was then handcuffed but as he was being taken from the property, he continued to try and break free.
As he was being put into the rear of the police van, he kicked PC John Maddocks to the head.
He was given medical attention and the laceration was glued shut.
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said: “He fully accepts responsibility for this incident and wishes to offer his apologies to the police constable who was injured.”
Laurence was said to suffer from “anger issues” and the lawyer urged the sheriff to consider a Community Payback Order as an alternative to custody.
That could include help with anger management.
But Sheriff William Wood told him: “For such a young man, you have acquired an unenviable run of previous convictions.
“This was clearly a sustained incident.
“Police shouldn’t have to be subjected to that kind of behaviour in the execution of their duty.”
The prison sentence was backdated to December 11 when Laurence was first remanded.
He is sickened by his behaviour and the effect it will have on his partner