A dangerous driver who caused a crash that left a teenager seriously injured has been banned from the roads for 20 months.
Shaun Sloggie crashed his car during an overtaking manoeuvre on the A87 at Glen Shiel, colliding with a rock face and an oncoming vehicle, seriously injuring his 16-year-old passenger.
Sloggie was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community by Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald, who told him: “You could have killed somebody.”
The 27-year-old appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving on September 11 2021.
The charge detailed how he overtook a vehicle while approaching a left-hand bend and lost control of his car.
Solicitor Waqqas Ashraf for Sloggie told the court that the incident had had a “profound impact” on his client.
‘Poor decision-making’ caused A87 crash
He said: “He fully accepts that at some stage he took the decision to overtake a vehicle and fully accepts that is his fault. He caused the crash due to his poor decision-making.
“He recognises the impact that it had had on others that were involved in the incident. He recognises that he could have killed someone. He recognises that this has taken place due to his poor judgement.”
Mr Ashraf told Sheriff MacDonald that Sloggie, a cruise boat skipper and tour guide, was a first offender and added that he remained on “good terms” with the passenger who was injured in the crash.
He said that Sloggie’s mental health had suffered as a result of the A87 crash which left him unconscious and also injured.
Sheriff MacDonald told Sloggie, of Caledonian Court, Fort Augustus: “You pled guilty to dangerous driving on a dangerous section of road
“Your actions caused a significant crash, which caused injury to several individuals including yourself.
“Somebody could have died.”
She banned him from the roads for 20 months and placed him on a community payback order requiring him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.