Eleven petrol heads charged with dangerous driving at Car Show ‘after party’

A MAN is facing charges, accused of organising a petrol heads’ meet-up on an industrial estate where drivers raced each other without stewarding, emergency cover or road closures.

Eleven people were charged with dangerous driving following the event, billed as the “Scottish Car Show After Party”, held in Stirling following the 2019 Scottish Car Show in Ingliston.

Gareth Willows is accused of putting people at risk by “organising, co-ordinating, instigating and promoting” the event through Facebook and Youtube.

It is alleged that 29-year-old Willows “well knew” that the event, held at Springkerse Industrial Estate on July 14 last year, would be held in a public place while there were no measures to close or secure the road or surrounding area, and no arrangements were made for stewarding or medical staff to be present.

The charge, of culpable and reckless conduct, claims that Willows, as the event organiser, “repeatedly failed to intervene when attendees engaged in races, or depressed the accelerators on motor vehicles while they were stationary”.

It states: “In doing so, you created a dangerous situation whereby the lieges [the public] were exposed to the risk of being struck by motor vehicles, motor vehicle collisions were likely, and there was no immediate assistance available to any person injured as a result of the activity taking place at the event”.

Willows, of St Ninians, Stirling, and four others – Kyle Flanningan, 26, Scott Giles, 30, Scott Smith, 24, and Jake Primose, 22 – are accused of driving dangerously at the event by spinning their car wheels for prolonged periods while stationary, causing their cars “to become unstable on the roadway” and causing smoke and gasses to emit from their wheels and tyres while close to pedestrians and other road-users.

Flannigan is further said to have been driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Six drivers – Ryan Moran, 21, Mark Mcleod, 20, Jacqueline Mckechnie, 24, Cameron Nicolson, 19, Logan Nicolson, 20, and Calum Moffat, 21 – are accused of driving dangerously by racing or engaging in trials of speed close to other vehicles and pedestrians.

At Stirling Sheriff Court on

March 6, Flannigan, of Irvine, Mckechnie, of Greenock, and Giles, of Cambusbarron, near Stirling, pleaded not guilty by letter. Trial dates were set for early June and they were ordered to appear at procedural hearings on May 19.

Sheriff James Macdonald continued the cases against Smith, of Dalgety Bay, Primrose, of Inverkeithing, and Moffat, of Aberdour, all Fife; Mcleod, of Caol, Fort William; Cameron Nicolson and Logan Nicolson, of Bannockburn, and Moran, of Cowie, all Stirlingshire; together with that of Willows, to March 20.

All the cases are at summary level. Trials, if required, will take place before a sheriff alone, not before a jury.