The boss of a Perth motorhome dealership has narrowly avoided jail after he was caught driving while disqualified for a fourth time.
Christopher Dickson was handed a non-custodial sentence after a court heard how his business – and its workforce of 27 – would suffer without him.
The businessman, who runs family firm Dicksons of Perth, was first slapped with a ban following a road rage incident seven years ago.
He has since been caught behind the wheel in 2017, 2021 and in February last year.
The 37-year-old returned to the dock on Wednesday and admitted driving while banned and without insurance on October 7.
Perth Sheriff Court heard his white Fiat 500 Pop was clocked by police on the A9, near the B9099 Luncarty junction.
Police stop
Prosecutor Bill Kermode said Dickson was pulled over by traffic cops at 7.30am.
“Checks were carried out which showed the accused had been disqualified from driving,” the fiscal depute.
Solicitor Robin Beattie, defending, said: “Mr Dickson is a very successful business person.
“His company involves 27 people and Mr Dickson is very much involved in the day-to-day running of the business, the maintaining of that workforce and obtaining contracts.
“The business relies on Mr Dickson to operate and continue to employ these people.”
Mr Beattie said that a driver would be employed to help cope with Dickson’s inevitable driving ban.
The court heard that on the morning of the offence, Dickson had been out working with his brother.
But when his brother left, he lost his lift back to Perth and so took the decision to get behind the wheel himself.
Sheriff Krista Johnston told Beattie: “I see nothing here to mitigate the offence.
“It is a poor explanation, because there are alternatives available – particularly to a man of his means.
“He chose to drive. And by choosing to drive, he is staring a period of imprisonment in the face.”
She said: “I am told that he is a successful businessman, but should that give him a ticket to avoid a custodial sentence?
“I have a flavour from this (pre-sentencing) report that this is a man who believes his circumstances are somehow always going to get him out of jail.”
Another driving ban
The sheriff told Dickson: “I have to think about what’s best to protect the public.
“Part of my thinking is that I just jail you today and that might work as a deterrent.
“But if there is an alternative that will allow you to continue in your employment, I have to consider that as a possibility.”
She added: “It must be very apparent to you that if you continue to do this, you will run up against a sheriff who will jail you without hesitation.”
Dickson, of Manse Road, Moulin, was tagged and placed on a restriction of liberty order, meaning he must stay home between 7pm and 7am each night for six months.
He has been further banned from driving for 40 months.
Road rage
The garage director received a 40-month ban in 2017 after causing a crash that left three young children screaming in terror.
The court heard how Dickson was over the legal limit when he aggressively tailed a family of five through the streets of Perth.
He cut in front of the group and slammed on the brakes, causing them to run into the back of his Mercedes.
Dickson then burst from his vehicle and screamed abuse at the family and hammered on their car.
Later that year, he was caught flouting the ban on Perth’s Balhousie Street.
He was ordered to carry out unpaid work and his disqualification period was upped to five years.
He was given a stern warning by Sheriff Alison McKay after she heard he had not complied with a pre-sentencing report because he was too busy with an overseas work trip in Germany.
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