A sheriff has told a dad caught speeding at nearly 100mph that cops don’t need to be polite after he lost the rag because an officer raised his voice at him.
Drew Kilminster overtook police officers on the AWPR Cleanhill to Charleston road in the early hours of the morning, before zooming off at 95mph.
When the cops caught up with the 24-year-old and pulled him over, Kilminster lost his temper and swore when one of the officers shouted at him.
But Sheriff Margaret Hodge warned him the police don’t have to be polite and ordered him to pay a fine as well as banning him from driving.
‘Grossly excessive speed’
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened on the A956 trunk road, part of the AWPR, which has a 70mph speed limit.
He said officers became aware of the van overtaking them before seeing it “driving off at speed”.
Mr Middleton said: “The constables believed this to be a grossly excessive speed well in excess of the 70mph limit.”
Officers accelerated to catch up and calculated the speed of the van to be 95mph, before it slowed down as they entered a 40mph zone with traffic lights.
‘Just stupidity’
Kilminster was stopped at Balmoral Business Park and found to be the driver but did not offer an explanation for his speed.
He then swore at officers before being cautioned and charged.
Kilminster pled guilty to speeding by driving at 95mph in a 70 zone, and to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
The incident happened on February 18 last year.
Defence agent Laura Gracie said her client had previously been given a 36-day disqualification for speeding in 2019.
The solicitor explained Kilminster had been driving home from Inverurie at the time and described the offence as “just stupidity”.
She added: “He saw the police car. He just put his foot down that but too much.”
‘You’re in the wrong’
Ms Gracie continued: “The reason he didn’t give the police an explanation for speeding was that he spoke with an officer initially who was polite, but he tells me the other officer was extremely arrogant, was shouting at him and wouldn’t let him get a word in edgeways.
“He lost his temper.
“It does appear to be out of character for him.”
Sheriff Hodge told Kilminster, of Redmoss Avenue, Aberdeen: “It’s your second speeding offence in a fairly short period. I think disqualification is the appropriate disposal.
“You’re in the wrong, you committed the offence so it’s not incumbent on the police to be particularly polite, you have to bear that in mind.”
She ordered him to pay a fine totalling £470 and banned him from driving for four months.