A speeding motorcyclist broke his neck in a horror high-speed crash in Aberdeen as he tried to escape from police.
Sean Laurenson crashed into a police van and ricocheted into a wall while trying to lose the officers in the early hours of the morning.
The crash left the 36-year-old with severe injuries including a broken bone in his neck which required surgery and the insertion of a metal plate and screws.
Laurenson had been speeding around the city, crossing onto the wrong side of the road, and mounting pavements and grass verges.
While no pursuit was formally declared, officers had been tailing the biker as they looked to speak with him regarding an unrelated matter.
‘I’ve got nothing left to give you’
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird said the incident happened around 2am on April 22 on Granitehill Road and the surrounding areas in Aberdeen.
She told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “Police attended in the area to trace the accused on an unrelated matter.
“He was seen to be riding a motorbike and actively avoiding the police, driving at excessive speeds.
“During this time, the accused was seen to be driving on the pavement and over a grass verge at excessive speed and drove at speed in the direction of constables.”
‘Massive wake-up call’
Laurenson also drove on the wrong side of the road repeatedly.
Ms Laird said: “The accused drove out of a side street at speed before colliding with a marked police vehicle.”
Officers administered first aid to Laurenson and an ambulance was called to take him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
While at hospital, he failed a breath test and, as part of the formal procedure, was asked to provide two urine samples.
Laurenson provided one.
Ms Laird told the court: “The accused failed to provide a second sample, stating ‘I’ve got nothing left to give you’ despite police observing him drinking multiple cups of water.”
Checks also found he did not have a licence or insurance.
Laurenson, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, pled guilty to dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, failing to provide a urine sample and failing to comply with a drugs test.
Defence agent Laura Gracie said: “He had recently purchased a bike and had taken it out foolishly to see whether or not it required any work.”
‘Quite horrific’
Ms Gracie said the incident was a “massive wake-up call” for her client.
She added: “As a result of the crash, he hit a wall, was knocked unconscious and broke a bone in his neck.
“He had to have screws and a plate in his neck.
“He remains in pain from his neck and that is the thing that will remind him, any time he’s going to do something so stupid, that it’s perhaps not a wise move.”
Sheriff Rhona Wark told Laurenson: “You found yourself quite seriously injured as a result of your own foolishness.”
She said the incident sounded “quite horrific” and jailed Laurenson for six months.
However, the sentence was backdated to April 24 when he was first remanded, meaning Laurenson was expected to be freed that day.
He was also banned from driving for three years.
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