A man has narrowly avoided jail after he admitted leading police on a high-speed chase across Aberdeen while over the drink-drive limit.
William Duguid appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to be sentenced yesterday after previously admitting the offence, along with charges of driving dangerously and failing to stop.
The offences took place on March 2 this year.
The court heard that officers had noticed Duguid’s car being driven “at excessive speeds” on Byron Avenue at around 2.10am and decided to follow his car as he drove around Northfield.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Ross said officers continued behind him and as he was approaching Manor Avenue they switched on their blue lights and signalled him to pull over.
However, Duguid continued speeding onto Auchmill Road and headed west before performing a U-turn and heading along Great Northern Road.
She said: “At that point the police witnesses contacted their control room to ask for assistance. The other officers who came to their assistance noticed the vehicle travelling along North Anderson Drive. They also activated their blue lights indicating the vehicle to stop. It failed to stop and continued driving south with the police pursuit continuing.
“Duguid continued to travel at excessive speeds, through red lights and failing to stop at junctions.”
Miss Ross said police eventually put a stinger on the road to deflate the 23-year-old’s tyres.
A roadside breath test found that he had 60 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35mcg.
Representing Duguid, of 27 Covenanters Drive, Aberdeen, solicitor Laura Gracie told her client had noticed the police behind him and “panicked” as he knew he had been drinking the night before.
Sheriff Kenneth Stewart was ordered to carry out 160 hours of community service in the next nine months and was placed under supervision for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving for three years.