A disqualified driver who drove carelessly as he tried to evade police after they spotted him behind the wheel has been jailed.
Adrian Ratajewski, 33, had been banned from the roads after racking up a number of driving offences, including three drug-driving offences from last year.
When officers in Strathpeffer spotted him behind the wheel of his silver Volkswagen Passat and went after him Ratajewski failed to stop and drove carelessly in his attempts to get away.
Ratajewski appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of careless driving, driving whilst disqualified and having no insurance.
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph told the court that it was around 3.50pm on September 6 of this year when officers in a marked police vehicle recognised Ratajewski as a disqualified driver.
“They turned around the police vehicle in order to follow the accused’s vehicle,” she said.
Careless driving caught on dashcam
The court was shown dashcam footage from the police car, which showed how Ratajewski’s vehicle was initially following closely behind a preceding vehicle as it approached the police car driving through Strathpeffer.
The video showed how, by the time officers had turned their vehicle, Ratajewski had pulled his car off the main road and onto Strathpeffer Square.
When the marked police vehicle approached it, however, he reversed at speed, despite the presence of a number of pedestrians.
However, officers blocked his path and Ratajewski was apprehended.
Disqualified driver’s ‘inexplicable stupidity’
Solicitor Marc Dickson, for Ratajewski, called his client’s actions on the day “inexplicable”.
But Sheriff Gary Aitken said the explanation was “stupidity”, noting that Ratajewski had three drug-driving offences dating from last year.
Mr Dickson told him: “There is a recognition that he shouldn’t have done that.”
Sheriff Aitken told Ratajewski, of Achany Court, Dingwall: “Given your flagrant disregard for a court order and bail orders you are sentenced to nine months imprisonment.”
The sentence was backdated to September 7 and Ratajewski was also banned from the roads for three years.
Sheriff Aitken told him: “You had better make sure that when you get out of jail you do not drive again or you will find yourself straight back in there.”