Court / Young driver banned and fined for dangerous driving

A DANGEROUS overtaking manoeuvre which almost led to a head-on crash near the golf course on the outskirts of Lerwick earlier this summer has cost a young man from Tingwall his driving licence.

Saul Sim was also fined £900 plus £40 in victim surcharge when his case called at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday morning.

The 18-year old was further told that he had to sit an extended test to get his driving licence back.

The court heard how other motorists had to take evasive action by driving on to the roadside verge when Sim pulled out from behind a car on the afternoon of 31 July.

Sim, of The Strand, had been following the vehicle for some time and had unsuccessfully tried to overtake a few minutes earlier.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the incident had caused distress to motorists who had narrowly avoided a collision, and described it as “slightly more than a misjudgement”.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said his client had not been aware that it was “such a close shave”.

He said Sim had been “stuck behind the same car driving at 45 miles per hour”, and felt it was safe to overtake.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to driving dangerously on the A970 on 31 July 2020.

Sheriff Robert Mcdonald said the incident could “easily have been ended in disaster”.