A teenager who hit speeds of 110mph on a rural road just four months after passing his test has been banned from the road.
Peter Cannard was followed by police officers as he sped at 105mph on the A96 and 110mph on the B9013 in Moray.
The 19-year-old lifeguard, whose plans to join the Armed Forces have been put on hold due to the court proceedings, hit the speeds on March 3 last year.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Elgin Sheriff Court that police officers were on mobile patrol when they saw Cannard’s black Ford Fiesta directly in front of them on the A96 near Elgin at around 6.10pm.
Hit 110mph on country road
They saw him safely overtake a white pickup on a one-mile-long straight and though his speeds were not excessive he continued to make ground away from them.
“At this time the vehicle accelerated up to 105mph for a number of miles,” she said.
“Eventually they have seen the vehicle brake and turn left onto the B9013.
“That road is a national speed limit road and the vehicle reached a speed of 110mph for about one mile.
“It then braked in order to negotiate a left-hand bend and thereafter he has pulled in to drive to his own property.”
Cannard initially denied a charge of dangerous driving but pled guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving.
Defence agent Alanah Mills said Cannard had only passed his test in November 2020, four months before the offence.
‘Reprimanded by his family’
She said this placed him in a “difficult situation” with regards to his licence and so asked for him to receive five points or a short ban.
“It has been 17 months since the offence and he has not come to the attention of police since, not prior to the incident,” the solicitor added.
“He is 19 years old and entirely accepts the manner of driving was wholly unacceptable.
“Having watched the dashcam footage myself the manner of driving appears to be okay, it’s only the speed which would make it careless and inconsiderate.”
She said the young lifeguard told her he had “no excuse” for the driving and suggested he had already been “reprimanded by his family in a way that the court cannot”.
Cannard has had one interview with the Armed Forces recruitment service but was then advised his application to sign up would be on hold until the court proceedings were dealt with or any ban is served, she said.
“On top of his work commitments of around 40 hours per week at the local swimming pool he also volunteers with the Air Training Corps helping with the running of cadets,” his solicitor added, stating a loss of licence would leave him reliant on a bike or taxi to get to and from his parents’ rural home.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov enquired as to how far his application for the Armed Forced had gotten and asked if this was the only thing stopping him from joining.
She added: “My concern is only four months after passing his test he drove in this manner.
“Not much has been learnt from his test just four months previously.
“Driving these speeds on a B road is at the upper end of careless driving.”
She banned Cannard, of Drannac House, Newton, from the road for five months and fined him £640.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
