A jury has been shown the shocking moment a drink-driving boyfriend crashed into a concrete staircase with his girlfriend in the passenger seat.
George ‘Brian’ Alden, 36, is on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court accused of endangering the life of his former law student partner Chantelle Eisma-Clinch by getting behind the wheel of his red Citroen C4 in the midst of a violent rage.
As he was pursued by three police cars, it is alleged Alden accelerated to excessive speeds before mounting a pavement and colliding with railings on Crown Street, Aberdeen.
It resulted in a horrific crash that saw his car flip over and end up on its roof in the middle of the road.
Alden admits being over the limit but denies driving dangerously, causing serious injury and endangering the life of Ms Eisma-Clinch.
He also denies assaulting her by seizing her by the neck, pushing her against railings and shoving her to the ground.
Ms Eisma-Clinch, 20, suffered a fractured pelvis while Alden broke eight ribs.
She told jurors that following a night out in Exodus nightclub in Aberdeen, Alden had told her he was going to drive.
As Ms Eisma-Clinch followed him back to Golden Square, CCTV shows Alden grabbing her by the hair and throat, pushing her against railings and forcing her to the ground.
“I thought I could talk him out of this,” she told fiscal depute Alan Townsend, adding: “I remember trying to take his car keys off him – it’s all a bit of a blur.”
She said she remembered reaching into the car to remove the keys from the ignition when Alden closed the door behind her.
He then told her: “I suppose you’re coming along too then.”
Jury watched blow-by-blow account of that night
The jury was shown nearly an hour of video footage from that night which spanned from 12.35 am to 1.39am on October 10 last year.
It shows the couple – who were in the process of breaking up – meeting in Exodus nightclub before getting into a furious row.
CCTV operators followed them along Belmont Street and Union Street before Alden is seen to lunge at his partner as they entered Diamond Street.
As they entered the quieter street, Alden can be seen grabbing the student around the throat and by the hair – at one point shoving her to the ground in Golden Square.
The pair get into the car and pull away as three police cars arrive and Alden takes off at high speed, racing across Union Street through a red light.
The red Citroen is followed along Crown Street by police at speed before it ploughs into the concrete steps and strikes railings before turning onto its roof.
Following the crash, Alden was found to have 72 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood in his system. The legal limit is 50mg.
Police also found a black-handled lock knife that belonged to Alden in the car.
His solicitor, Graham Robertson KC, quizzed the lead detective Heather Casey over the cause of the crash.
He put it to her that one “potential explanation” for the crash could be that his client was attempting to escape police pursuit.
“Given the circumstances, that would not be my opinion, no, but there are multiple potentials,” Detective Constable Casey replied.
Mr Robertson suggested that it was “worthy of consideration” as a cause.
“It’s worthy of consideration, as are the other alternatives,” DC Casey replied.
The trial, before Sheriff Ian Wallace, continues.
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