A Perth sheriff has told a teenager he could have appeared at the High Court on a dangerous driving charge if the consequences of his actions had proved fatal.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Liam Mackie (18), of Duntaylor Avenue, Aberfeldy, that a ”prank” turned into something ”far more serious.”
The court heard how Mackie and two friends had been out in Pitlochry and intended getting the bus home.
Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson said: ”The group missed the bus. They then wandered about and saw a car parked next to its owner’s house. The vehicle was unlocked with the keys in its ignition.”
The court heard Mackie got as far as Dunkeld in the car when the police spotted it and he ”panicked” and drove on to the A9.
Mackie then drove through temporary traffic lights while they were at red and headed into Dunkeld.
He was last seen by the police going too fast on a left-hand bend, with the car ending on the opposite carriageway and mounting a pavement.
The car was abandoned but Mackie was traced three hours later and accepted his part in the incident.
Mackie admitted that, on March 25 on the A9 Perth to Inverness road, near Dunkeld, Bridge Street, Atholl Street, Dunkeld, he took a car without lawful authority.
He also admitted he drove a car dangerously by driving through a temporary traffic light while it was red, lost control of a car while negotiating a left bend, causing it to stray into the opposite carriageway, mount a nearside pavement and collide with wooden and metal posts, demolishing them.
Sheriff Foulis told Mackie: ”This is a situation where a combination of circumstances, mainly missing the bus and having consumed a quantity of alcohol, resulted in your judgment walking west.
”It may have been in the early hours but you drove through red lights and there could have been oncoming traffic, causing dangers to others…
”You lost control of the car and it could have gone through a fence with the potential of a fatality and you could have been up before the High Court instead of me. Your prank turned into something far more serious.”
Mackie was fined £1,500 and banned from driving for 18 months.