A dangerous driver who hit speeds of 125mph during a dramatic 43-mile police chase across Tayside has been jailed.
Alan McDonnell raced through active roadworks on the A9 in Perthshire before slashing his tyres on a police stinger on Dundee’s Riverside Drive.
But the pursuit did not end there.
The 25-year-old Londoner continued careering down the road, swerving into the wrong lane and nearly ploughing into an oncoming car.
The chase ended when his Audi Q7 was finally surrounded by police.
Perth Sheriff Court heard he had “panicked” because he had no car insurance.
‘Top end’ of dangerous driving
McDonnell appeared via video link from Perth Prison and admitted dangerous driving without insurance on the A9, M90, A90 and A85 on April 2, last year.
Sheriff Gillian Wade told him: “These are really very serious offences which were carried out without regard for other road users, workers and police in particular.
“Travelling at a speed of 125mph is clearly at the top end of the dangerous driving scale.
“The police were required to utilise a number of units, which took them away from doing other duties.”
McDonnell was jailed for nine months and banned from driving for 22-and-a-half months.
Police chasers told to stand down
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told the court: “At 11.20pm, police were on mobile patrol at the A9 junction with the A822 when they observed the accused’s vehicle travelling eastward.”
Officers followed the car into an area of roadworks where a temporary 50mph speed limit was in place.
“The vehicle showed no signs of slowing from its speed of 70mph,” said Ms Wilkinson.
“Police activated their blue lights and the vehicle continued, increasing its speed to over 100mph.”
Pursuing officers alerted control room bosses, who told them to stand down.
“A different set of police overheard this communication and took up point at the Broxden Roundabout in an effort to trace the vehicle,” the prosecutor said.
“At 11.40pm, the constables observed the vehicle travelling from the A9, around the roundabout and onto the M90.
“They followed the vehicle, which increased its speed again to 100mph.
“It drove past junction 10 towards the A90.”
Ms Wilkinson said: “Several other police units took up point along this road.
“The car was now travelling at 125mph and driving in an erratic manner.”
She said: “The vehicle past the Swallow Roundabout and a police stinger was deployed.
“It punctured all four of the car’s tyres.”
McDonnell slowed to around 60mph but kept driving.
“The vehicle was observed to swerve into the opposing carriageway,” the fiscal depute said.
“An oncoming vehicle had to brake to avoid a collision.
“At this time, there were several police units chasing the accused.
“He attempted to overtake a police containment vehicle.”
Ms Wilkinson said: “The pursuit eventually came to a close when all three police vehicles successfully contained the subject vehicle, bringing it to a stop.”
McDonnell was swabbed for drugs and breathalysed at the scene but both tests were negative.
Police put at risk
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: “Mr McDonnell had been visiting family in the area when he saw the police activate their blue lights behind him.
“He panicked because he knew he was not an insured driver.”
She said: “It is fair to say that there was little or no other traffic on the road at the time.”
Sheriff Wade interjected: “Apart from the workers on the road and the vehicle he nearly drove into.”
Ms Cullerton added: “He fully accepts that his manner of driving was wholly inappropriate and placed the police officers and road workers at risk.”
