A serial car thief has been jailed after he took north-east cops on a terrifying drink and drug-fuelled high-speed car chase.
Officers were forced to push Jason Grant’s vehicle off the road using “tactical contact” in order to end the chase.
The 23-year-old – who was said to have a “disgraceful catalogue” of previous driving convictions was told it had been “extraordinary no one was injured”.
Grant, who was under the influence at the time, was pursued by police through the streets of Aberdeen in the early hours of the morning in September last year – often on the wrong side of the road.
At the city’s sheriff court, he pleaded guilty to five charges, including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and driving while intoxicated while in breach of bail conditions.
He was facing his fifth conviction for driving while banned and second convictions for dangerous driving and driving while under the influence.
It was also revealed the 23-year old drove towards a police officer in an attempt to evade capture.
During the September chase, Grant speed through red lights on Aberdeen’s Lang Stacht with two female passengers in his car.
Officers pursued his vehicle and, due to concern for the safety of others, took action to halt his progress, causing his white Vauxhall Corsa to overturn and come to rest on its side across Westray Road.
No-one was seriously hurt and the vehicle sustained only moderate damage.
‘Unfit to drive’
Fiscal depute Colin Nielson said: “Constables in attendance observed Grant and engaged him in conversation.
“It was noted that his speech was slurred, he appeared dazed and his pupils were dilated.
“He had white foam in the corners of his mouth and on his beard and he was continually making a chewing motion with his mouth.
“Constables formed the opinion he was extremely intoxicated – most likely through drugs – and unfit to drive. He was also unsteady on his feet.”
‘Consequences could have been more serious’
Grant’s solicitor, Tony Burgess, claimed his client’s vehicle “was in fact slowing down” when police chose to force it off the road.
He added: “I can’t say whether it was the driving that caused the car to roll or whether it was the consequence of impact or contact that made the car roll, but nevertheless, he is responsible for what unfolded and thankfully it ended the way it did and not the way it could have done, with more serious consequences.
“In short, he is extremely remorseful and regretful of his actions that night.”
Grant has a number of previous convictions for car theft – including taking an Audi A1 from an Aberdeen property in 2017.
Sherriff William Summers told him: “The dangerous driving charge is particularly troubling as it involved driving your car towards a police officer, then driving at excessive speed while under the influence and while being pursued by police.
“It involved driving in the wrong carriageway, ignoring traffic signs and going around a roundabout in the wrong direction.
“Ultimately the pursuit was brought to an end with police officers making contact with the vehicle you were driving.
“It is frankly extraordinary that no one was injured.”
He sentenced Grant, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 25 months in prison and banned him from driving for eight years.
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