A motorist who led police on a 120 mph chase with a replica assault rifle on his lap has been jailed for 20 months.
Christian Williams was described as carrying out the worst case of dangerous driving a sheriff had seen in 30 years.
Williams, who kept trying to evade police after his tyres were blown out by a stinger device, was also disqualified from driving for four years and ten months.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith told him: “I am struggling to think of a more severe case of dangerous driving in my entire career, spanning 30 years, across the courts in Scotland.
“Following an argument you took 30 Co-codamol tablets before driving. There was an empty bottle of cherry brandy in the footwell. You accept you drank some of that but can’t remember how much.”
The sheriff continued: “When you were removed from the car you vomited. You were in no fit state to drive a car.
“I consider this to be a very dangerous example of dangerous driving.
“You were driving while in possession of an imitation firearm between your legs. The Good Samaritan who found you slumped in the car was alarmed.
“It no doubt caused that person long-lasting psychological harm.
“They thought you were dead.
“There was a total and flagrant disregard for the rules of the road.
“It was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate case of very bad driving.”
Witness thought driver was dead
Williams was driving so fast that police called off their pursuit twice because of the danger posed to members of the public and trained officers.
Officers tried to bring Williams, 37, to a halt with a stinger-type device but he continued trying to race away from them despite three tyres being blown out.
Fiscal depute Christine Allen told Dundee Sheriff Court that a member of Williams’ family had contacted police to express concern about his wellbeing.
At 1.50pm a member of the public came across Williams’ white BMW parked at the roadside and noticed the occupant was slumped in the driver’s seat.
“The member of the public was so concerned they stopped and walked back to check on the driver’s welfare.
“They thought the accused may be deceased.
“They sounded the horn and got no response and then noted the accused had a firearm between his legs,” she said. “They walked away from the car and contacted the police.”
She said that police officers arrived a short time later, but Williams had regained consciousness and immediately drove off at high speed when he saw them approaching his vehicle.
Bashed into police cars
Ms Allen told the court that officers activated blue lights and sirens and pursued Williams for several minutes.
However, when he continued to gain speed and exited a bend in the road at 95 miles per hour they were instructed to terminate the pursuit.
Williams was still driving more than an hour later when he was spotted on the A92 dual carriageway clocking speeds between 110 and 120 miles per hour.
Another chase was launched and a deflation device was set up on the road at Panmurefield. Williams mounted the verge and pavement in a bid to evade the device.
The prosecutor told the court that he was unable to avoid it and three of the four tyres were blown out, but he continued to drive on the car’s rims at 50 miles per hour.
As he headed into the residential streets of Broughty Ferry at speed and with the vehicle ‘fishtailing,’ the police pursuit was called off for a second time by control.
Williams was eventually brought to a halt after running a number of red lights. Officers managed to wedge his BMW between vehicles and he was unable to escape despite driving back and forth to bash into both police cars.
When he was taken from the car, the police found a replica military assault rifle in the passenger footwell, and Williams was clearly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Williams was asked to provide a urine sample, but failed to do so and told officers he was suffering from a bout of “stage fright.”
Williams, of Burnside Road, Mintlaw, admitted driving dangerously and at excessive speed on the A92 and in Broughty Ferry on 12 February last year.
He also admitted having a replica assault rifle and failing to provide a specimen of urine to police while he was at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
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