A Kirkcaldy man whose illegal driving left a woman with debilitating injuries has been jailed for 14 months.
Alistair Taylor, who has never passed a driving test, got behind the wheel of a Volvo car despite being banned from driving just weeks before.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Sheriff Grant McCulloch told Taylor he had shown “arrogance and indifference”.
Taylor lost control of the vehicle on the A92 between Tullis Russell and Prestonhall roundabouts in Glenrothes on December 7.
The 25-year-old drifted into the opposite lane and crashed head-on into another vehicle.
He managed to free himself from the smoking wreck but the driver of the other car suffered life-changing injuries.
Emergency services raced to the scene at around 11.30pm and had to cut the woman free before she was rushed to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
She suffered multiple injuries including a collapsed lung, damaged vertebrae, fractures to her arm and multiple open fractures on her legs.
The court was told she had to undergo numerous surgeries, including the insertion of metal plates in her collarbone, her left elbow and forearm.
Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden previously told the court: “She was in intensive care until December 20 and was then transferred into the high dependency unit until December 28.
“She was then kept in the major trauma ward until she was discharged on January 31.”
Taylor admitted causing serious injury while driving when disqualified. He also pled guilty to driving without insurance.
The court heard Taylor had racked up 18 previous convictions, of which five were for road traffic offences.
Sheriff McCulloch said he had no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.
He told Taylor: “You just decided to ignore the ban, and drove for fun. Because it’s what you do.
“You only have a provisional licence, never bothered to pass a test.
“You have frequently ignored previous court orders.
“Had you learned to act as a grown up with responsibilities, then your victim would not have suffered the awful serious and debilitating injuries caused directly by your arrogance and indifference.
“And her husband, children and extended family would still have the woman they then knew. She almost died.
“I’m told you are remorseful. I would hope so. But remorse is not enough. Despite fines, disqualifications, unpaid work and periods of supervision, you continue to offend.”
