Audi driver who went on run given last chance
A THIEF, who went on the run after colliding with a police car while driving without a licence or insurance, has been given three months to show he can behave.
Sheriff William Taylor said he was taking an ‘ unusual’ course of action in dealing with 22-year- old Vadims Prohorovs at Fort William Sheriff Court on Friday.
Prohorovs, who is originally from Latvia but now lives in Claggan, appeared from custody, where he had been remanded since April 10, after admitting the offences which took place on Torlundy Road on March 12.
He also admitted multiple charges of dishonesty, including stealing two jackets from Nevis Sport worth £157 each on February 5 and various bottles of perfume, aftershave and alcohol.
In court it was heard on March 12 police had received reports of a black Audi being driven erratically on Kilmallie Road in Caol and that two police officers on patrol in the area started looking for the driver.
The car was spotted and followed with blue lights but Prohorovs, knowing he had no insurance, elected to continue driving.
Fiscal Martina Eastwood said: ‘ The driver attempted to maneouvre past the police van coming towards him but collided with the near side and also collided with a parked car. Police saw Prohorovs walk from the vehicle but they did not interview him as he could not be trace.’
Solicitor Stephen Kennedy said Prohorovs was in an unusual situation as the car did not belong to him, however, it was not stolen as first thought.
The car belonged to a Mr Abraham who Prohorovos had met on that day but when realising the car owner and his girlfriend had been drinking and were not fit to drive, Prohorovs said he would drive the car from Caol to Claggan.
Mr Kennedy added: ‘ Mr Prohorovs does not hold a UK licence and held a provisional driving licence in Latvia. He came across a police car which was stationary, elected to continue driving as he thought he had sufficient room. There was not so he bumped the car and then continued on his way.’
With regards to the theft, Mr Kennedy said Prohorovs openly admits he stole the items for personal gain. Currently unemployed, Prohorovs’ intention was to sell them to cover day-to- day living costs for himself and his girlfriend who is pregnant and due later in the year.
The court heard Prohorovs had been living in Ireland for three years before moving to Scotland eight months ago.
A brief adjournment took place to establish whether Prohorovs was telling the truth about previously being involved in only one criminal case regarding possession of a small amount of cannabis.
After checks were made by the police, it was found a warrant was also outstanding against Prohorovs on a charge of trying to sell an iPhone 6 from Latvia which turned out to be a Nokia model inside. Mr Kennedy told the court Prohorovs knew nothing about the warrant but that he had appeared in a court in Inverness for other matters where the sheriff granted a deferred sentence.
Sheriff Taylor said he was a firm believer that the left hand should realise what the right hand was doing and that it would be a shame for the deferred sentence to begin with a period in remand.
The sheriff ordered Prohorovs to behave and to return on July 18. He stressed: ‘ I am going to defer sentence for three months and if you so much as steal a box of matches, you will be punished for these offences and whatever brought you back to court. This is very much your last chance.’