A sheriff has slammed a 21-year-old motor mechanic clocked driving dangerously at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour on the busy A92 Dundee to Arbroath dual carriageway, branding him a “serious risk” to other road users.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard Ryan Crichton, of Willliam Fitzgerald Way, Dundee, decided to test the speed capabilities of his father’s high-powered Audi A3 on a stretch of road between Muirdrum and the Elliot junction.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told the court police officers had been on patrol near Muirdrum village shortly before 9pm on March 30.
She said: “They saw a vehicle travelling at excessive speed which was recorded as 115 miles per hour in an area restricted to 70 miles per hour on the main Dundee to Arbroath road.”
They tailed the vehicle until they got to the Elliot roundabout, at the entrance to Arbroath, where they activated their blue lights.
She continued: “He went round the roundabout and went back along the A92, with the police following.
“He continued to accelerate, at one point reaching a speed of 120 miles per hour. On noticing the blue lights he stopped.
“He said he saw the blue lights earlier but thought the police had headed into Arbroath. There was one front seat passenger in the car.”
Defence agent Gabriella Notarangelo told the court her client, who was charged with driving a car dangerously by repeatedly driving at grossly excessive speeds on the A92 Dundee to Arbroath road between its junction with Muidrum and Elliot, had worked as a mechanic with Peter Vardy.
She said: “He has been dismissed but there is an appeal.
“He accepts full responsibility for his action – it was his father’s car and he had been testing the speed on a stretch of road he thought was safe.
“In hindsight he accepts his actions were foolish.”
Sheriff Derek Reekie condemned the speeds at which Crichton had reached stating: “This is a very serious offence.
“Your solicitor has said you accept this was very foolish, but for me it was crass stupidity and dangerous.
“It was a serious error of judgement. You were very misguided and were a serious risk to other road users and your passenger.
“You were driving at quite crazy speeds over a distance when being pursued by the police.”
He sentenced Crichton to a community payback order of 65 hours of unpaid work, to be carried out within six months as an alternative to a fine, and disqualified him from driving for 20 months.
He was also ordered to sit an extended driving test.
