Man admits causing serious injury by driving dangerously

A DRIVER who believed he was targeted for verbal abuse left a man seriously injured and unconscious after hitting him with his car.

Harry Lavery, of Virkie, struck a man with his Ford Puma with such force that he was thrown over the bonnet, windscreen and roof of the vehicle, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Advocate depute Chris Jones said although Tesco store worker Lavery did not intend to hit the victim, his previous interactions with him made him aware that the man had been drinking and was walking erratically in the road in Lerwick.

The prosecutor said Lavery did not slow his vehicle to any appreciable degree and afterwards did not stop, but instead drove to his workplace.

Lavery told work colleagues that someone had jumped on his car and that the man was standing in the road drunk and was being abusive to him.

Jones added: “The accused further told them that he himself had anger issues and had gone to speak to the man he had struck, however at this point the man ran in front of his car.”

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Twenty seven year old Lavery “sincerely believed” that the man had been verbally abusive to him, the court heard.

However the prosecutor said the Crown did not accept that the man had jumped out into his path, nor that he had been verbally abusive towards him.

The injured  man was taken by ambulance to the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick where he was found to have sustained multiple bone fractures and other injuries in the collision. The incident took place on 27 August 2023.

Lavery had been driving back to the Tesco store after a work break when he encountered the man and had to drive around him.

Jones said: “As he did so, the accused formed the impression that the complainer had said something insulting to him.”

Rather than continuing onto his work Lavery turned into a road, made a three point turn, and drove back onto South Road and back in the direction of the victim.

He shouted at the man and drove past him at speed before performing a 180 degree turn and returning towards him.

Lavery then struck him with such speed that he was sent over the windscreen and roof of the vehicle.

“The force of the collision was so great that it inflicted multiple, serious injuries on the complainer and considerable damage to the accused’s car,” Jones said.

“The complainer’s head began to bleed heavily.”

First offender Lavery admitted causing serious injury to the man at South Road, in Lerwick, by driving dangerously.

Judge John Morris KC deferred sentence on Lavery for the preparation of background reports.

By Edinburgh Courts Press Services