A sheriff slammed a Dundee dangerous driver for “making a fool of me” after he enjoyed lie-ins instead of attending unpaid work.
Sheriff Jillian-Martin Brown said she had given Marley Williams “a chance” despite the tearaway being previously told he would be jailed for an 80mph joyride which saw a police officer having to risk his own life to carry out a tactical crash.
Williams, 22, appeared this week for a review of the community order she imposed, including an outward-bound course with the Venture Trust.
At the time, she said it was “very much an alternative to custody” and noted social workers “have concerns” about his ability to comply.
The court has now been told he has indeed failed to meet social workers and asked for afternoon appointments because he could not be bothered to get out of bed.
‘You can’t be bothered’
Sheriff Martin-Brown said: “You were supposed to make a start on unpaid work and with the Venture Trust. That has not happened.
“That was an alternative to custody.
“You would have been sent to jail by most other sheriffs but I decided to give you a chance.
“Now it looks like you are making a fool of me.
“You can’t be bothered to get out of bed to do unpaid work.
“I don’t know what part of ‘narrowly avoided jail’ you don’t understand.”
The sheriff noted he failed to attend his induction appointment on January 10 and had a formal warning issued.
He failed to attend again on January 16.
“On January 27 you asked for a later appointment because you were still in bed.
“You then said you were in poor health but provided no medical report.
“Well, you can stay in bed all day when you are in prison.
“You need to buck up your ideas or you can spend as long in bed as you want while you are languishing in prison.
“You have narrowly avoided prison and you are just lying in your bed.
“If you stay in your bed that is something I can take into account.”
Sentence was deferred for reports and Williams again walked free from court.
80mph joyride
The court previously heard how a police officer risked his own life to carry out a tactical crash to bring the banned joyrider’s city centre chase to an end.
Williams admitted driving dangerously while disqualified on June 3 2021, in an incident which saw him reach 80mph in closed-in residential areas around Dundee.
The court was told that the high-speed chase was only brought to an end after Williams’ Vauxhall Vectra had already smashed into another innocent motorist.
He was first spotted on the A90 Forfar to Dundee road by police aware of his existing ban.
He got away but was spotted on Berwick Drive and the ensuing blue-light chase saw him reach 70mph in a 30mph zone and “straddle” the carriageway on the A92 near Fairfield Road at 80mph.
Williams lost control as he entered the Scott Fyffe roundabout and careered into a Fiat Doblo.
Four passengers ran from the car and Williams appeared to be trying to reverse to get away but a police officer made “tactical contact” to prevent him escaping.
Prison warning
After pleading guilty to dangerous driving in September, Williams was told by Sheriff Robert More to expect a prison sentence.
He said: “This was an appalling incident. There is little to separate it from a case where you might have caused a fatality.”
However, sentencing was handed over to Sheriff Martin-Brown who decided instead to send Williams on a “personal development” course based in the Scottish wilderness.
She imposed a community payback order, despite being warned by social workers Williams would most likely fail to do it.
Sheriff Martin-Brown ordered him to complete 200 hours unpaid work, placed him under supervision for 18 months and sent him on a Venture Trust course.
A dangerous driving charge would normally attract a mandatory minimum 12-month ban but Sheriff Martin-Brown did not impose any disqualification on Williams.
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