A teenager who was already disqualified from driving when he sparked a dangerous 100mph police chase through Aberdeen has been given another road ban.
Alan Tanc, who was 17 at the time of the offence, weaved into oncoming traffic as he made his getaway and tried to outrun police vehicles and a police motorbike on the west side of the city.
Officers were forced to abandon the chase over concerns about public safety as Tanc’s BMW sped away.
However, police caught up with Tanc, now 19, after he dumped the vehicle and tried to escape on foot through a back garden.
A sheriff told the teenager he was “just lucky” no other road users were injured.
Route of the pursuit
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that at around 7.20pm on January 12 2020 police officers were on mobile patrol, attending to another vehicle’s stoppage.
Tanc’s Silver BMW then came to their attention due to its “extremely loud exhaust sound”.
“Another police officer on a motorbike saw the accused travelling from St Machar Drive onto Hilton Street,” she said.
“Near the roundabout at the end of Cairncry Road, the officer signalled for the accused to stop.
“At that stage, the accused was travelling in a queue of other vehicles and was asked to stop but did not.
“The police motorbike driver pulled alongside in eye line of the accused and again told him to stop.
“The accused then accelerated harshly and a police chase was declared.”
Weaving through vehicles, overtaking on wrong side of road
Tanc then accelerated up to 80mph as he tore along North Anderson Drive and sped through various sets of traffic lights.
As he turned onto Lang Stracht, Tanc weaved through vehicles at high speed before coming back onto North Anderson Drive, once again, accelerating to 80mph.
As he came onto Skene Road, he veered into an opposing lane of traffic as police vehicles were still trying to catch up.
Tanc then pulled into a dual carriageway where he accelerated to 100mph in a 40mph zone.
Coming up to a junction at the A944 heading east, the teenager was still travelling at 100mph and overtaking other vehicles.
Officers became concerned when Tanc then performed an overtaking manoeuvre on the wrong side of the road at another junction of the A944, before returning to the correct lane.
Accused took off on foot
As police attempted a number of tactics to get Tanc to slow down his BMW, he pulled onto Eday Road and was seen driving over speed bumps at 50mph.
He turned and continued along Stronsay Place and Summerhill Terrace.
While turning onto King’s Gate, he again accelerated up to 100mph and pulled into oncoming traffic, forcing traffic coming toward him to take evasive action.
Police then abandoned the chase out of concern for public safety.
However, they were soon alerted by a passerby that Tanc had dumped his BMW in the Midstocket area of the city and made off on foot.
Tanc was then apprehended in a garden on Beechgrove Terrace where he was found to have cannabis in his pocket.
He pleaded guilty to charges of driving in a dangerous manner at excessive speed, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Tanc admitted a further charge of being in possession of a controlled drug.
Defence agent David Sutherland conceded that his client’s actions were at the “higher end” of road traffic violations.
He added: “Some considerable time has passed since these offences.
“Mr Tanc has been engaging well with social work and has taken himself out of his previous friend group – he seems to be doing well.”
‘Just lucky’ no one was hurt
However, Sheriff Ian Wallace described Tanc’s offences as “a very serious example of dangerous driving” while he was already disqualified.
“It’s just lucky there weren’t more serious consequences,” he said.
“But I do take account of the fact that you were 17 at the time.
“The social work report is positive and says that you want to stop offending and get on with your life.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Wallace made Tanc, of Wallace House, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work.
He disqualified Tanc from driving for three years, while also making him subject to a restriction of liberty order for 225 days.
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