An Aberdeenshire dad who caused a horror crash after smoking heroin has been locked up for “gambling” with the lives of other road users.
The family of Allan Lawrence wept in the public gallery of Aberdeen Sheriff Court as the 41-year-old was sent to prison for 18 months.
Lawrence had smoked heroin hours before the crash on the unclassified road between the B999 and B9005 near Ardlethen Farm, Ellon, and was seen by witnesses speeding and taking blind bends on the wrong side of the road.
The court heard how he crashed head-on into a car coming in the opposite direction seriously injuring the other driver and a dog called Ruby.
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told the court: “At around 4.35pm on July 16 2021, witnesses were travelling east towards the locus when the Ford Fiesta being driven by the accused accelerated towards the rear of their vehicle.”
Lawrence overtook the witnesses at an estimated 75-80mph, above the 60mph limit, on approach to a blind bend.
He “briefly” returned to the right side of the road before “accelerating away from them, remaining on the wrong side of the road” going into the bend.
Meanwhile, the complainer was travelling in the opposite direction, with Ruby secured in the rear of his car.
Accused was going through ‘particularly difficult period’
Ms MacVicar said: “On approach to the bend, the complainer saw the accused’s vehicle approaching him at speed, giving him little time to react.
“The complainer swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, however, due to insufficient time, a collision was unavoidable and the accused’s car collided with the complainer’s, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
“Such was the damage to the complainer’s vehicle that he was unable to open either the driver or front passenger doors.
“Fearful that his car was going to go on fire, as smoke was coming from the engine, he managed to climb into the back seat and leave his vehicle out of a rear passenger door.”
The witnesses arrived on the scene shortly after the collision and saw Lawrence in the driver’s seat of his car, with the passenger door “essentially ripped off”.
Lawrence seemed “partially conscious” and “appeared to be struggling to breathe”.
Other witnesses were flagged down to help and managed to remove Ruby from the complainer’s car.
Those witnesses then found Lawrence “slumped over the steering wheel, unresponsive”, while the complainer “began to feel dizzy” and had pain in his left wrist, leg and foot.
Emergency services were called and closed the road, which was “littered with debris” for an investigation to take place.
Officers noted Lawrence’s speech to be slurred and he was unsteady on his feet while “struggling to keep his eyes open”.
A breath test proved negative, but checks found he was uninsured.
While being treated for his injuries at the scene, Lawrence told police he needed his rucksack, and officers then found three wraps of heroin, worth £490, inside.
‘He has no recollection of the accident’
Both drivers were taken to hospital, with the complainer suffering a fractured left wrist and bruising and soft tissue damage to his legs and ribs.
Meanwhile, Ruby also suffered lacerations to her face and had to be taken to the vet as she was having issues maintaining the strength to stand.
Lawrence, of Barratt Drive, Ellon, pled guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving without insurance and possession of heroin.
Defence agent Paul Barnett said his client, who worked as a fabricator and welder, had a number of lower-level previous convictions.
He added: “At the relevant time, he had been going through a particularly difficult period in his life having separated from his wife with whom he’d been in a relationship for some 25 years.
“A short time prior to this he lost his employment.
“He’s had a long-standing problem with substance misuse.”
Mr Barnett said that drug use became “more problematic” during this period.
‘You chose to drive your car after taking heroin’
He explained Lawrence had smoked heroin on the morning of the offence but, by the afternoon, didn’t feel he was impaired and so decided to drive to visit his mother in Methlick.
Mr Barnett said: “In relation to the driving itself, he has no recollection of the accident and he himself suffered a fairly serious head injury described as a deep laceration to the back of his head.
“This is perhaps the reason he doesn’t have any recollection.”
The lawyer said Lawrence showed “remorse” and “demonstrated victim empathy”.
He added: “He’s massively regretful of the injuries sustained by the complainer and his dog.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Lawrence: “I’m afraid I consider the only appropriate disposal in this case to be a custodial disposal.”
The sheriff said Lawrence had “taken a gamble with the lives of others”, adding: “You chose to drive your car after taking heroin.
“You had a significant amount of Class A drugs with you.
“You’ve shown a disregard for the rules of the road in the past.”
He ordered Lawrence to be jailed for 18 months and banned him from driving for six years and nine months.
As the sheriff spoke, Lawrence’s family, who had gathered in the public gallery wept and consoled each other.
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