A Monifieth man has been banned from driving after being caught travelling at 117mph on the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen road.
Robbie Miller’s solicitor failed in his attempt to persuade Forfar sheriff Kevin Veal that there was no case to answer to a charge of dangerous driving when the 21-year-old appeared for trial before him on Tuesday in relation to the offence last year.
During the trial, defence agent Andrew Lyall claimed that the risk to road users was minimal because there were no other vehicles on the northbound carriageway when police officers detected Miller’s Peugeot 106 travelling at excessive speed on the stretch of road between Clatterha and Marcus on September 20 last year.
However, Sheriff Veal insisted it was impossible to ignore the fact Miller exceeded the maximum speed limit allowed on any UK road by as much as 47mph and said he had no choice but to convict Miller of both charges of speeding and dangerous driving because several potential hazards could have arisen.
Fiscal depute Therese Oswald told the court the carriageway was close to several residential properties and there were also deer in the vicinity at the time.
She asked witness PC Derek Miller of Tayside Police’s road policing unit what the consequences would have been had one of Miller’s tyres burst while driving at this speed.
Constable Miller, one of the two officers who pursued the 21-year-old along the carriageway following the incident, said the likely outcome would be “horrendous” and “almost definitely fatal.”
Mr Lyall asked Constable Miller if he and his colleague had checked the accused’s tyres upon stopping his vehicle close to Finavon.
Constable Miller said this was the case and that no faults had been detected.
Mr Lyall then put it to Constable Miller that the suggestion of a tyre blowing out was purely “speculation” and the officer accepted this.
However, Sheriff Veal said, “The evidence before the court shows that the accused was travelling at 117 miles per hour along a stretch of road which is a dual carriageway a road which is used by commercial vehicles and normally by moderately slow traffic.
“There are often deer in this area and wild animals are unpredictable.
“Driving at this level of speed shows no regard whatsoever for the potential hazards and falls far below the standards expected by a careful and competent driver.
“A conviction for dangerous driving must follow.”
Sheriff Veal ordered Miller to appear again on Thursday to produce his driving licence in full for sentencing. He was disqualified in the interim.