A drink-drive suspect who crashed his BMW after a “high intensity” police chase through rural Perthshire has avoided further jail time after serving months on remand.
Matthew Dorans led police on a 90mph pursuit after refusing to be breathalysed.
The 48-year-old was originally charged with assaulting one of the police officers by trapping his arm inside his car and dragging him as he accelerated away.
After a week-long trial at Perth Sheriff Court, jurors found the assault charge not proven.
Dorans was, however, convicted of careless driving, failing to comply with a roadside breath test and later failing to provide samples of breath at Dundee police HQ.
He was also found guilty of having a lock knife and struggling violently with police as they apprehended him.
Returning to the dock for sentencing, Dorans was asked if he had anything to say in mitigation.
He replied: “Spes mea ancora – it means, hope is my anchor.”
Further punishment is ‘inappropriate’
Dorans was banned from driving for three years.
But he escaped further punishment after already spending the equivalent of a nine-month sentence on remand.
Sheriff William Wood told him: “I think it’s fair to say that – given the verdict – the jury don’t appear to have accepted the evidence of the police officers in relation to the most serious charge on this indictment.
“Indeed, it could be said that the jury arrived at their verdict based on your own evidence and the admissions you yourself made.”
He said: “It weighs very heavily when I consider the disposal that you spent four-and-a-half months on remand.
“And that was in respect of matters which are now no longer in front of me.
“If you had appeared on a summary complaint – as these matters now amount to – it would be very unlikely you would have received a custodial sentence at all.
“It seems to me that it would be inappropriate to punish you any further than you have been already.”
Dorans, of Wolfhill, near Coupar Angus, was admonished on all charges.
Tried to flee on foot
The trial heard how he was approached by police as he was parked at the roadside on the A93 Blairgowrie-Perth road, about a mile north of Old Scone, on January 5 2022.
The car had its engine running and hazard lights on.
When PC Connor Rae said Dorans declined any assistance and told him: “No, f*** off. I don’t need your help.”
The officer said he was slurring his words and his eyes were glazed over.
Dorans accelerated away when the second officer Sergeant Peter Milne attempted to unlock his door.
The police pursued Dorans with sirens and lights flashing as he hit speeds of up to 90mph.
Jurors heard Dorans appeared to take a bend too quickly and crashed on a grass verge.
He then tried to get away on foot but was caught when he failed to jump over a hedge.
‘Entirely avoidable’
Representing himself in court, Dorans claimed he declined to be breathalysed because he did not trust police not to tamper with his sample.
He also thought hand sanitizer in the room could affect the recording.
In his closing submission, he told the jury: “Justice is mine. Vengeance is for my masters and my God.”
After sentencing, Sheriff Wood told Dorans: “This was all entirely avoidable.
“If you had co-operated with police at the roadside, then none of this would have happened.”
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