Motorists had to swerve to avoid hitting a drunk pedestrian who was running between cars as they passed him on the notorious A9 dual carriageway.
The incident happened just minutes after Terence Urquhart, 34, had grabbed the steering wheel of a taxi several times in an effort to direct it into oncoming vehicles while on the Kessock Bridge and near Tore on the Black Isle.
He then exited the taxi and began running around between vehicles and striking them as they passed.
Father-of-two Urquhart, of Westford, Alness, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald and admitted two charges of culpable and reckless conduct.
Accused grabbed steering wheel of taxi
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver told the court that Urquhart had called a taxi for a return journey to Inverness on November 13 2020, but was soon discovered by the driver to be drunk.
“He was intoxicated and on the return journey, as the driver was going over the Kessock Bridge, the accused grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to turn it into the path of another vehicle,” she said.
“The driver regained control but the accused grabbed the steering wheel again and the taxi almost hit a bollard.”
Ms Silver said that the taxi driver stopped and warned Urquhart about his behaviour – but he then began running around on the carriageway and he struck one vehicle as it went past.
He then damaged another car by hitting the bonnet and windscreen.
‘You have a problem’
Defence solicitor Rory Gowans said his client was “extremely lucky that nothing more serious occurred”.
“He accepts he was completely out of order – he was in a dark place at the time,” Mr Gowans added.
“The irony of this is that he got a job in the offshore industry and things took a turn for the better until May this year.”
Mr Gowans explained that his client had been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and suffered several fractures.
“He spent a week in the high-dependency unit. But his job is still open to him when he is fit to return to work,” Mr Gowans said.
Placing Urquhart on two years social work supervision, Sheriff Macdonald told Urquhart: “This behaviour was extremely reckless and dangerous for people who came across you that evening.
“If you behave like this under the influence of alcohol, you have a problem.”
The sheriff told Urquhart his social worker may instruct him to have treatment for alcohol.
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