A Dundee pro racer who was caught speeding through Perth city centre had been allowed to keep his licence.
Finlay Hutchison was charged with dangerous driving after a trip to a Fair City milkshake bar in November 2019.
The 23-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court this week and admitted a reduced charge of careless driving.
The court heard how the racing driver set off from Holy Shake on Main Street before performing a legitimate U-turn and putting his foot down as he headed out of the city towards Dundee.
Hutchison had five points on his license at the time of the incident on November 16 in 2019, the court heard.
Two years ago, Hutchison was sentenced to unpaid work at the High Court in Edinburgh after he permitted a 17-year-old with no license to drive his car in Dundee, and then lied to police in the wake of a fatal collision the teenager caused.
Milkshake trip
On Monday, Hutchison pled guilty to driving without due care or attention by driving at excessive speed and accelerating aggressively.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Kynaston told the court that the area Hutchison was spotted in has a 30mph limit and there was light traffic at the time.
At around 8.15pm, Hutchison got into his black BMW M4 which was parked opposite Perth dessert parlour Holy Shake.
He was seen to perform a legal U-turn but accelerated at excessive speed before catching up with preceding traffic as he headed back east.
Ms Kynaston said: “He reached speeds of up to 40mph.”
After being stopped by police, he told officers: “I disagree with it, but okay.”
‘Matured’
Solicitor Richard Freeman said: “He had been with friends.
“He had parked opposite on the other side of the road.
“After finishing his time there, he drove up a bit to where it was safe to turn.
“He committed the U-turn. The U-turn was not the subject of any criticism of the police.
“After committing the U-turn at 5mph-10mph, he then quickly accelerated for a short distance.
“He accepts that he accelerated to 40mph in a 30mph zone.”
Mr Freeman said: “Then he brought his speed down considerably. The police continued to follow him all the way to Dundee.
“There are no aggravating factors. It’s very much at the lower end of the scale.
“He has now matured.”
Racing and tech careers
Mr Freeman said his client is in the process of moving from Osprey Road in Dundee to Glasgow.
Defending, he added that Hutchison requires his license to work at his family’s international AV technology firm Hutchison Technologies, and also to remain part of the racing team he competes with.
While his family business requires him to travel in the UK and on the continent, Hutchison would also need his license to compete in 24-hour endurance races.
Hutchison represents Belgian Team WRT in the GT World Challenge Europe and competes in an Audi R8 LMS GT3.
“He is also contracted with a racing team that he has a career with,” Mr Freeman added.
“He represents a car manufacturer. He’s part of a team of three.
“If disqualified, he is extremely worried that he would lose his motorsport license.
“This offence has been significantly watered down.
Sheriff Francis Gill fined Hutchison £585 plus a £40 victim surcharge and furnished him with five penalty points.
“You pled guilty today to a charge of careless driving,” he said.
“That’s still a serious road traffic offence.”
High Court conviction
Two years ago, Hutchison was fined and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and was placed under supervision for 18 months after he lent his car to a teenage driver who caused a fatal collision in Dundee.
Kyle McLachlan was driving Hutchison’s BMW M4 when he struck father-of-two Scott Millar as he walked across a road in Dundee after enjoying a music and dance festival.
McLachlan had no insurance and only a provisional license when Hutchison permitted him to drive his company-registered car in 2018.
Hutchison also pled guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice by stating to police he did not give the car keys to anyone and had not given his co-accused permission to drive the car.
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