A bare-knuckle boxer and actor who narrowly avoided striking two workers during a wild police chase has been released on bail ahead of sentencing.
Derek “Decca” Heggie was found guilty of leading officers on the dangerous chase across Dundee in a BMW.
The car was lost to sight and Heggie was only traced after being identified by one of the police officers who was a fan of his online content.
The former fighter and YouTube star claimed he had been recording a podcast on the night in question and was not the driver.
However, a sheriff rejected his version of events and found him guilty of dangerous driving.
He was convicted of driving dangerously on March 15 2021 on Forfar Road, Kingsway East, Douglas Road, Drumgeith Road, Baldovie Road and the A92 near Muirdrum.
The 40-year-old, originally of Carlisle but recently a resident of Montrose, was hauled into custody after being deported from the Philippines in December.
After appearing from custody for sentencing, Sheriff Garry Sutherland further deferred sentence until next month and released Decca Heggie on bail.
‘Last resort’
A Dundee musician who bought an illegal stun gun because he thought his neighbour was going to murder him faces being sent to prison for a minimum of five years. Michael Cosgrove said he ordered the firearm as a “last resort” for his own protection, claiming an upstairs resident had threatened to kill him over his guitar playing.
Police near-miss
Police had to swerve to avoid crashing into a drink-driver near a Perthshire country park.
Brian Beattie was four-times the legal limit (88mics/ 22) when he had the near-miss with the law on the A823 Gleneagles to Muchkart road on November 25 last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard officers were driving northbound, past the entrance to Glendevon Country Park at about 4.25pm when they came across Beattie, “veering between lanes, crossing the central line.”
Fiscal depute Stuart Duncan said: “Constables had to take action to avoid a collision.
“Thereafter, they turned their car around and activated blue lights and sirens.”
Beattie was pulled over and admitted he had been drinking.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client had been drinking at lunchtime and thought he was fit to drive.
Beattie, of Carden Castle Park, Cardenden, pled guilty to drink-driving and was fined £600 and banned for 15 months.
Sheriff Alison McKay told him: “Its thankful that the police were able to avoid a collision in this case because I suspect you would not have been able to.”
Coke chuck
A repeat drug-driver threw his cocaine over a garden wall after crashing in a Fife village. George Dewar hit a car in Limekilns and insisted to resident she did not know what had happened. It was his third drug-related driving conviction in less than a year.
Wrong way to act
A drunken pallet yard worker has been disqualified after police caught him driving the wrong way down a one-way street in Montrose.
Artur Adamczewski, of Castle Street in Montrose admitted failing to adhere to signage at the town’s New Wynd and then later failing to provide a breath sample at police HQ.
Officers spotted the Polish national, who was aided by an interpreter while representing himself in the dock, at 10.20pm on August 12 2023.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson explained when police approached him after his blunder, he smelled of alcohol.
He failed a roadside breath test but when he was taken to West Bell Street HQ after midnight, refused to give another sample and whistled over the interpreter.
At Forfar Sheriff Court, the 47-year-old who works for Scott Pallets near Laurencekirk, said: “I did not know the street.
“I would like to apologise, I was just desperate.”
Adamczewski, who had been sleeping in his car and at a friend’s home at the time, was fined £855 plus a £40 victim surcharge and was banned for 16 months.
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