An Inverness danger driver who risked the lives of motorists and police during a terrifying high-speed pursuit has been told: “You are not living in a video game”.
Samantha Stewart, 36, weaved in and out of traffic on the wrong side of the road at speeds of more than 100mph during the incident on December 6 last year.
Her driving was so dangerous that traffic cops were forced to call off their pursuit, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Jailing her for 18 months and banning her from driving for seven-and-a-half years, Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald told Stewart, of Galloway Drive, in Smithton: “I would ban you from driving for life if I could.”
Danger driver was high on drugs
Fiscal depute Susan Love said the incident started at 2.45am when police saw Stewart acting suspiciously with two men at the Esso filling station on the Longman estate and discovered that the VW Golf she was in was not covered by insurance.
It was not until 3.20pm that day that police eventually traced Stewart to a house in Rowan Road, where she was high on drugs and refused to have a blood test to reveal the extent of her impairment.
Ms Love said Stewart drove out of the forecourt and was lost to view and police ordered a look-out for her vehicle.
It was next seen on the Black Isle at 4.37am by a patrol but travelling in the direction of the B9169 near Kinkell.
When officers turned on their blue lights, Stewart accelerated away and on to the A832 towards Tore roundabout.
Ms Love told Sheriff Macdonald that police did not have the resources to stop her, but searches continued and, at 4.51am, the VW was seen travelling along Charleston at North Kessock.
“She appeared to accelerate harshly through the residential area. No attempt was made to stop or follow her due to the residential nature,” the fiscal depute continued.
Road users put at risk
At 2pm, police were travelling along the A835 from Tore towards the Maryburgh roundabout when they saw the Golf again.
Dashcam footage of the chase that ensued was played in court.
It showed Stewart driving three abreast, taking the Tore roundabout in the wrong direction, overtaking and narrowly missing vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
Stewart emerged onto the A9 heading south towards Inverness and her dangerous driving continued, reaching speeds of over 100mph, so the police elected to stop the pursuit.
Her car was later traced in the Dalneigh area about 2.20pm where she drove on the wrong side of the road at excessive speed.
A woman who was in her car with her young daughter had to take evasive action to avoid a collision, Ms Love added.
Stewart was eventually traced to a house in Rowan Road and she was found under the influence of drugs.
Life of addiction
Stewart, now a prisoner at HMP Grampian, admitted dangerous driving and various other driving offences, as well as a breach of a bail curfew.
Defending, Shahid Latif said there was nothing he could say about mitigating the circumstances, and he conceded that a jail sentence was inevitable.
“HMP Grampian is the best place for her and she recognises this,” Mr Latif said.
“The loss of her brother and father was punctuated by bad decisions and a negative peer group, which led to a dependency on street intoxicants.
“The only way she can wean herself off these is under the stringent restrictions in prison. She is intent on rebuilding her life when she is released.”
‘You are not living in a video game’
Jailing her for 18 months and banning her from driving for seven-and-a-half-years, Sheriff Macdonald told Stewart: “I would ban you from driving for life if I could.
“This was utterly appalling and reckless conduct by you over the course of several hours. It put yourself, members of the public and police officers in danger of losing their lives.
“You are not living in a video game – the dangers of your driving was apparent for everyone to see and must have been alarming for anyone on the A9 that day. It was shocking.”
Her prison sentence was backdated to December 9, when she was remanded in custody.