A speeding driver spooked spectators as they watched the Queen’s procession pass through Tayside, a court has heard.
Thousands lined the A90 to pay tribute to Elizabeth II as her funeral cortege drove between Dundee and Perth on September 11, last year.
Pensioner Henry Rankin was charged with dangerous driving following an incident on the Glencarse sliproad.
The 73-year-old was originally accused of driving “in an aggressive manner and at excessive speed” towards pedestrians on the pavement, forcing them to take evasive action.
However, prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to a much reduced charge of driving his blue Volkswagen Tiguan “at excessive speed for road conditions” when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday.
‘Unique challenges’
Sheriff William Wood told the retired insurance underwriter: “I’m sure that it is a matter of some embarrassment for you to appear in court for the first time at your age.
“Nevertheless, it is what it is and you accept that you broke the law on this occasion.”
He said: “It is a situation in which you may have been surprised to see so many people at the roadside, but in the circumstances you ought to have been aware of that.”
Rankin, of Fingask Place, St Madoes, was fined £450 and had five penalty points imposed on his clean driving licence.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson told the court: “This happened at the sliproad to Glencarse to St Madoes.
“At the time, there was a high volume of vehicles and pedestrian traffic due to the passing of the late Queen’s funeral cortege.”
She said: “Because of the unique challenges brought on by this event, a rolling police roadblock was in place with slow moving traffic behind.
“There were also a large amount of spectators at the sliproad.”
The fiscal depute said: “At about 2.55pm, witnesses were at the locus observing the funeral cortege passing.
“They heard the accused’s vehicle accelerating.
“It was then observed turning left at the junction, and driving towards Glencarse while pedestrians were on the flyover.”
The onlookers called police and Rankin was traced later that day.
Ms Hodgson confirmed that the spectators had “felt they were in danger”.
Watched the procession
Solicitor Richard Freeman, defending, said: “Mr Rankin had been travelling along the A90 and had stopped at a layby in order to view the cortege.
“The procession went past and under the bridge.
“My client then came off the A90, taking the offslip where there is a fairly severe left hand bend there that opens up into a straight stretch of road.
“He accepts that he built his speed up, in the way that he would normally do.
“He drove at excessive speed for the road conditions, with regard to the pedestrians on the pavement.
“It was obviously very unusual, but he accepts that should have tempered his speed.
“It is a matter of agreement that no pedestrian who was standing on this pavement was ever inconvenienced.
Mr Freeman said: “It is a shame that he finds himself in court for the first time at his age.”
For more local court content visit our dedicated page, or join us on Facebook.
