A father who led police on a high-speed 25-mile pursuit across Aberdeen has been jailed.
Kieran Ord fled when officers tried to stop him in the early hours of the morning due to an issue with his lights.
The 31-year-old then took police on a stunningly dangerous chase throughout the city – taking in Mastrick, Cults, Garthdee, the city centre, Danestone, Bridge of Don and the harbour – in a bid to escape.
Ord hit speeds of 90mph and at one point rammed a police vehicle as he desperately tried to shake the police cars.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court officers on patrol first spotted Ord’s car around 3.05am on November 9 last year at the junction of the Lang Stracht and North Anderson Drive.
Officers signalled for him to stop after noticing it had only one side light and fog lamp illuminated, however, Ord accelerated away and a pursuit was declared.
The route of his chase
Ord drove south on North Anderson Drive at speeds of up to 70mph before turning left at the roundabout onto Queens Road.
He then took a left onto Forest Road and again onto Kings Gate, crossing Anderson Drive and continuing along Kings Gate towards the Hazlehead roundabout.
Ord reached up to 90mph during pursuit
He turned back onto Queens Road before speeding down Springfield Road onto North Deeside Road and headed towards Cults.
While on North Deeside Road, a child’s booster seat was thrown from the passenger window in the direction of the pursuing police vehicle.
Ord continued through Cults and went left onto St Devenicks Place, continuing onto the narrow Deeview Road South.
That took him onto Inchgarth Road before he headed back into town along Garthdee Road, where he took the Asda roundabout on the wrong side of the road.
He then crossed the Bridge of Dee roundabout onto Holburn Street, accelerating at speed away from police towards the Iceland roundabout, where he turned onto Fonthill Road.
Ord continued onto Ferryhill Road and turned left onto Crown Street then right onto Union Street.
The chase showed no signs of stopping as Ord then made a left onto Union Terrace, another left onto South Mount Street and a further left onto Rosemount Place, continuing at speed until he turned right onto Argyll Place.
He travelled through the lights at Westburn Road and straight over onto Westburn Drive.
At the Six Roads roundabout, Ord took the fourth exit and drove at speed down Back Hilton Road towards Belmont Place and left in the direction of Froghall before making a right onto Jute Street and left onto Kings Crescent.
Mr Middleton said: “This phase of the pursuit lasted 25 minutes and throughout the car reached speeds of 70mph in various 30mph and 40mph limits and, although slowing for red traffic light signals, failed to obey them.”
The chase continued at speeds of up to 60mph in 30mph zones and up to 90mph in 50mph zones.
After being chased the length of Clifton Road, Ord encountered cones and barriers that forced him to slow to almost a complete stop and begin to turn.
‘Regret and remorse and disgust at himself ‘
Police vehicles made attempts to contain the car, but Ord carried out a U-turn and driving onto the pavement for around 15 metres before rejoining the road.
The pursuit then continued onto the Parkway at between 30mph and 40mph when more attempts to contain the car were made.
But Ord again mounted the pavement and even “intentionally struct” one of the police vehicles, damaging the bodywork.
The chase continued through “various streets in Aberdeen”, heading towards the city centre again, going down King Street and Market Street.
He drove into the ferry terminal at the harbour before doing a U-turn and returning in the direction of the city centre.
A stinger device was deployed as Ord travelled along the Denburn, deflating three of his tyres just prior to the roundabout junction with John Street.
This forced Ord’s speed to be “significantly reduced”, but he still refused to stop.
Mr Middleton said: “After multiple junctions, a further containment was carried out on the subject vehicle.
“The car attempted to evade the containment and struck another police car before being brought to a halt.”
Ord was found to be the driver and tested positive for cocaine. Checks also revealed he was disqualified from driving and was not insured.
‘This was a very bad case of dangerous driving indeed’
Ord, of Rowan Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to dangerous driving while under the influence of drugs, driving while disqualified and without insurance.
Defence agent Chris Maitland said his client had been remanded in custody since August 25.
Referencing a court-ordered background report, Mr Maitland said: “There’s really nothing I can add to the report.
“He’s making no excuses for his behaviour. He wishes to apologise for his behaviour.
“He seems to have expressed regret and remorse and disgust at himself for his actions, and acknowledges the seriousness of it and the potential dangers of it.”
Mr Maitland said Ord did not wish to continue his life the way it had been, and said his “main motivation” for that was his children.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan said: “This was a very bad case of dangerous driving indeed, the distance over which you drove in the manner you did.”
He sentenced Ord to 18 months imprisonment with a further nine-month supervised release order.
He also banned him from driving for five years and one month.
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