Restaurant owner avoids jail after being caught driving with no insurance for the fourth time

A restaurant operator who admitted driving without insurance for the fourth time avoided a prison sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.

Christopher Crombie was also serving a disqualification when he was caught behind the wheel in October.

Crombie had been banned from driving for 18 months in May of this year for being drunk in charge of a vehicle.

Depute fiscal Stewart Maciver told Sheriff Margaret Neilson that a police check on Crombie’s vehicle which was seen on the B9163 in Conon Bridge at 9.30am showed it was uninsured.

It was later discovered he was also banned,

Defence solicitor Willie Young said his 31 year old client knew he was in a serious position.

Mr Young said Crombie, of Scorguie Drive, Inverness had recently started up a restaurant business, employing a few staff and working seven days a week.

He said he had driven his six year-old daughter to school in Conon Bridge when he couldn’t get anyone else to do it.

Sheriff Neilson ordered Crombie to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody and disqualified him driving for two years.