A Scots cricketer who left a pedestrian seriously hurt in a hit-and-run smash in Stirling has narrowly avoided being locked up.
Mubarak Ali, who plays for Stirling County, claimed he only “nudged” Julia Dunsmore when he accelerated into her path.
But surveillance footage from the collision in King Street showed the 63-year-old woman was struck so hard she bounced off the front of his Volkswagen Golf and onto the road.
Ms Dunsmore was rushed to Forth Valley Hospital with a serious leg injury, while police made a public appeal to find the driver.
Ali, 32, was originally charged with dangerous driving following the accident on January 14 last year but was found guilty after trial of a reduced charge of careless driving.
He was further convicted of failing to stop and give his details.
Remorse questioned
Stirling Sheriff Court heard Ali had been parked on a prohibited section of road at 2.20pm, before failing to observe Ms Dunsmore crossing the street as he “harshly” accelerated towards her.
After the collision, he drove off in the direction of Corn Exchange Road.
Sheriff Derek Hamilton told Ali last week: “The jury found you guilty of careless driving, as opposed to dangerous driving.
“However, it has to be recognised that the nature of the driving was, in my view, at the upper end of careless driving, just short of what could be described as dangerous.”
The sheriff said the fact Ali left the scene was an aggravating factor.
“I am told that you have shown remorse but I am not clear if that is genuine remorse.
“You have played matters down and you say that you ‘just nudged’ the individual.
“That bears no resemblance to the CCTV.
“You quite clearly struck her with some force and she bounced across your bonnet and onto the road.”
The sheriff said: “I think it is a significant aggravating factor that you left the scene and thereafter you effectively abandoned the car.
“Taking everything into account, this just falls short of a custodial sentence – but it is only just.”
Ali, of Claymills Drive, Cambusbarron, was ordered to carry out the maximum 300 hours unpaid work and banned from driving for 27 months.
No cricket in prison
Solicitor Virgil Crawford said his client was suffering from anxiety at the time.
“He was planning to go to the police station to report this but his lift let him down,” he said.
Mr Crawford said an alternative to custody, such as a restriction of liberty order, and a driving ban would impact when his client would be able to play cricket.
“It would depend whether it was a home game or an away game,” he said.
“But I pointed out to him that if he gets custody, he won’t be playing cricket at all and he accepts that.”
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