A bid to rescue a damsel in distress cost a Perth teenager his licence when he veered off the road and collided with a tree.
Michael Esdale rushed to the aid of his girlfriend and her sister after they phoned him in tears at around 3am on October 17.
A friend offered the use of his car to collect the pair, but was unable to drive himself as he was in a drunken state, so Esdale took the wheel to avoid breaking the law. But unknown to Esdale and his friend, the 19-year-old was not covered by the terms of the insurance policy.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how, after picking up the two young women, the pair began fighting in the back of the car.
Depute fiscal Robbie Brown said, “He told police there was an argument between the two female passengers. Presumably he lost concentration as he tried to split it up and, as a result of that the car hit a tree.” Incredibly, the group escaped injury, although were shaken by the incident.
Defence agent Rosie Scott told the court that because the mercy mission was made on the “spur of the moment”, Esdale and his friend did not bother to check if he was allowed to drive the car.
“Because his friend had a considerable amount to drink, my client thought he was being sensible because he hadn’t been consuming alcohol,” she said. “When the girls’ arguing became physical, he tried to stop it and was distracted, causing him to strike the kerb. As he hit the kerb, he felt the wheel drag and tried to swerve, but ended up hitting a tree on the roadside.”
Esdale, St Magdalene’s Road, admitted he drove a car without insurance, also driving without due care and attention and failing to keep the car under control. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis fined him £200 plus eight penalty points, two above the six-point limit applicable in the first two years.