A serial dangerous driver who crashed into oncoming traffic in a busy Dundee area as he sped away from police has been jailed for 18 months.
Bradley Forsyth had only been out of prison for less than a year at the time of the incident and was still disqualified from driving after running down a woman on his motorbike as he pulled wheelies on the pavement.
Prior to this, he had served yet another jail sentence and had a criminal record for similar offences.
Forsyth, previously branded “idiotic” by a sheriff, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday to be sentenced for his five most recent motoring offences, to which he pled guilty.
He admitted that on August 8, at Milton of Craigie Road North, Longtown Road and elsewhere, he drove whilst disqualified and without insurance, drove dangerously, accelerated aggressively, drove into oncoming vehicle, caused damage, failed to stop, exited his vehicle and attempted to escape from police officers.
Fiscal depute Saima Rashid told the court: “Shortly after 6.35pm officers were on mobile patrol.
“They observed the accused’s vehicle driving slowly. The accused raised his hand to his face.
“Having had previous dealings with the accused, they believed him to be a disqualified driver.
“They moved slowly behind him to do a check before deciding to stop the vehicle.
“At that point the accused’s vehicle accelerated aggressively.
“There were adults and young children waiting to cross the road near McDonald’s so the officers decided not to activate their emergency lights.
“They did continue to follow and observed the accused driving off at high speed.”
At that point Forsyth entered the opposing carriageway and narrowly missed colliding with an oncoming vehicle, which had to brake suddenly.
Shortly afterwards, he crashed into another vehicle which had been forced to perform an emergency stop.
Ms Rashid added: “The accused was seen to exit and make off.
“Both officers gave chase and repeatedly asked him to stop.
“He slowed down due to exhaustion and was arrested.”
The court heard that Forsyth, of Polepark Road, had an issue with cocaine and was willing to work on it.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Forsyth and disqualified him for 20 months.
