An ultra-cautious motorist picked up his first road traffic conviction after 40 years on the roads – for driving too slowly on a Tayside dual carriageway.
Other motorists had to take evasive action to avoid slamming into Onyebuchi Akuonu as he plodded along the busy M90 Perth to Edinburgh road, near Bridge of Earn, at just 15mph.
Drivers trying to enter the route from the slip road had to slam their brakes on to let Akuonu crawl past during “rush” hour.
Perth Sheriff Court was told Akuonu, who worked as a lawyer in his native Nigeria, had been driving since the 1970s without attracting police attention.
But officers who were called to the scene by other concerned motorists pulled the security officer’s 15-year-old BMW over and charged him with dangerous driving.
Akuonu, 64, of Aberdeen, admitted a reduced charge of driving carelessly by going at “excessively slow speed” and causing other vehicles to brake to avoid colliding with him. The bizarre incident took place near Bridge of Earn on March 26 last year.
Fiscal depute Kristina Kelly told the court: “It was just after 5.30pm. The first witness entered the M90 at junction nine, near Bridge of Earn.
“They built up speed to join the motorway and observed the accused’s vehicle travelling at a slow speed. He required to brake to avoid a collision.
“He then joined the road behind the accused’s vehicle. He described the accused as travelling at about 15mph.
“Another witness described him as driving at about 20mph. Police attended and stopped the accused and took him to a nearby layby.
“An officer took over the driving of the accused’s vehicle due to the safety concerns for other road users.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “He has no previous convictions and no outstanding cases. He has not been charged with any offence in over 40 years of driving.
“The accused had driven into very bright sunlight and at that point he was driving a new vehicle. He was driving slowly because it was a low sun directly at him.”
Sheriff Neil Bowie imposed six penalty points and fined Akuonu £400.
