An adult and child had to run out of the way of a speeding motorist being pursued by police from Broughty Ferry to Perth Road, Dundee Sheriff Court heard yesterday.
As he approached the city centre, the driver reached speeds of up to 70mph, before abandoning the car, the court was told.
Joseph Michael Doran (21), Bellmer Close, Barnsley, admitted that on June 17 he drove while disqualified and without insurance in Queen Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee Road West, East Dock Street, South Marketgait, Nethergate, Perth Road and Invergowrie Drive.
He further admitted driving dangerously at excessive speed, overtaking vehicles in the face of oncoming traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road through junctions, going through red lights, undertaking slower vehicles, causing pedestrians crossing a road to run to avoid being hit and colliding with another car and damaging it.
He also pled guilty to failing to stop at a red light at the junction between Broughty Ferry Road and Greendykes Road, at the accident in Perth Road and when signalled to do so by uniformed officers on Perth Road and Nethergate.ErraticDepute fiscal Emma Stewart said police had been alerted to the incident around 5pm by CCTV operators who saw Doran driving off at speed in Broughty Ferry in an “erratic manner” towards Dundee city centre.
She continued, “As police followed the vehicle along Broughty Ferry Road, it approached some traffic lights which were red and the accused failed to stop and continued at high speed.”
Police caught up with the black Ford Focus on East Dock Street, where Doran was “moving erratically from junction to junction and overtaking other vehicles at speeds of around 60 to 70 miles per hour.”
Ms Stewart added, “Police again caught up with the vehicle by the time it reached Perth Road.
“However, the driver failed to stop when indicated to do so by the police vehicle.”PursuitThe search was eventually called off after police decided continuing their pursuit of Doran would be too dangerous to other road users and they last saw him travelling along Perth Road towards Harris Academy.
The car was later found parked in the city’s Whitefaulds Road with flat tyres and the windows open. The driver was identified by officers studying CCTV images.
An agent for Doran said his client was not subject to any court orders or on bail when the offences were committed.
He added that Doran had been disqualified from driving simply through the “totting up” of penalty points.
Sheriff George Way deferred sentencing until July 28 for reports.