A teen driver raced through Peterhead town centre in the middle of the day before crashing into a lorry and a wall.
A sheriff told Jay Forsyth that he could have easily killed someone but decided against locking him up for his reckless actions.
Peterhead Sheriff Court was told uniformed police spotted Forsyth speeding through the town at around 2pm on July 18 last year.
Forsyth, who was 19 at the time, eventually came to a stop after he hit a tanker and then drove into a wall on Skene Street.
Now aged 20, Forsyth pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving without insurance and a licence.
Dangerous driving
Two further charges of failing to report an accident and leaving the scene were dropped.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Cardo told the court that Forsyth had been spotted by police officers out on a mobile patrol.
“They followed him with the intention of stopping the vehicle,” Mrs Cardo said.
“[Forsyth] was accelerating at speed and they saw him turn onto Skene Street.
“As they turned the corner, they saw he had crashed head onto the wall at a 90 degree angle.
Tried to flee from police
“[Forsyth] was in the driver’s seat and he ran off. The front passenger also exited the vehicle and a rear passenger also ran off.”
Mrs Cardo told the court that damage to a lorry tanker was also noted “having been struck by Forsyth’s car”.
Forsyth’s defence solicitor Sam Milligan said his client had a previous record and had been in the care system from an early age, adding: “That has been the catalyst for matters here today.
“However, that is no excuse for the standard of driving exhibited in light of his age.”
Mr Milligan told the court that Forsyth was still under a community payback order and had completed 85 hours of a 185-hour order of unpaid work.
Sheriff David Harvie spoke to Forsyth to highlight that it had been “two o’clock in the afternoon” and he had driven through the town centre, hitting a lorry.
Forsyth interjected and said: “To be fair, the lorry was parked in the middle of the road.”
Stern warning
Sheriff Harvie sternly replied: “You should not have been driving that fast and getting away from the police.
“You hit the lorry – that makes it worse. You hit the lorry in the middle of the road and then hit a wall.
“It is lucky that you did not hit anybody and lucky that you and your two passengers are here today.
“You are kind of matter of fact about it and have noted ‘there is not much to say’.
“You could have killed somebody and you clearly were not in control of the car – does that not give you a pause for thought?
“Custody is very much on my mind.”
Alternative to custody
He disqualified Forsyth, of Duncan Crescent, Peterhead, from driving for 15 months, ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within nine months and placed him under supervision for two years.
Sheriff Harvie warned: “Are you clear that this is a direct alternative to custody? If that order is revoked, that is what will happen.”
He also extended Forsyth’s existing community payback order for three months.
Forsyth was ordered to return to court on January 13 for a review.