Police pursuit ended in Golspie campervan crash
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A DISQUALIFIED driver involved in a high-speed police pursuit, crashed his car into a campervan at Golspie’s Back Road.
David Armstrong abandoned his woman passenger and her two infant children and took off following the incident on January 20 last year.
Tain Sheriff Court heard he took a taxi from the village to Inverness but then did not pay the £80 fare.
The 20-year-old from Wishaw narrowly escaped a jail sentence when he appeared for sentencing today.
Sheriff Gary Aitken said he was only persuaded to impose a community payback order with 225 hours unpaid work because of a positive social work report on Armstrong, who was also banned from driving for 27 months.
The court heard that police launched a pursuit of Armstrong following a tip-off. As a constable followed him, Armstrong overtook dangerously and drove on the wrong side of the road.
When Armstrong's Kia Sedona sped into Golspie, the officer was told by police control to 'disengage' for fear of what could happen in a built-up area.
Roderick Urquhart, prosecuting, said: "The constable continued northwards but no longer in pursuit. He saw a car stationary half-way across Back Road and was flagged down by two members of the public who were helping a women and children from the car. It had collided with a stationary campervan, causing damage to both vehicles and making the accused's car undriveable.
"It seems that Mr Armstrong was taken by taxi to Inverness where he said he would pop out and get the fare, but he disappeared."
Armstrong admitted three charges relating to the January 20 incident – driving dangerously, driving while disqualified and obtaining the hire of a taxi without paying. He further admitted breaching bail on May 13, 2019, by failing to turn up at court. In addition Armstrong pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and with no insurance on January 16 in the Wishaw area.
Defence agent Rory Gowans said at the time he committed the offences Armstrong was struggling with addiction issues and mental health problems and was surrounded by a 'negative peer group'.
"None of that excuses what was an appalling course of conduct," said the lawyer. "If he could turn the clock back, he would do so."
Mr Gowans said Armstrong, who worked with an uncle in the carpet industry, was rebuilding his life.
Sheriff Aitken told Armstrong: "You could very easily have killed yourself or worse still killed all three of you and goodness knows who else. You are exceptionally lucky that having crashed into a campervan you did not cause any injuries to anyone."
