A man who ploughed his car into the side of a building with his girlfriend in the passenger seat has been told he’s “lucky” he didn’t kill someone.
George ‘Brian’ Alden was convicted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month of causing serious injury to Chantelle Eisma-Clinch by driving his red Citroen C4 at high speed as he was pursued by police cars.
Alden, 36, pushed his car to more than double the speed limit before mounting a pavement and smashing into railings on Crown Street in the city centre of Aberdeen on October 11 2022.
Jurors were shown footage of Alden’s car as it struck the building before it flipped over and ended up on its roof in the middle of the street.
His passenger, Ms Eisma-Clinch spent a fortnight in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary due to the extent of her injuries.
Today, Sheriff Ian Wallace told Alden that the consequences of his driving that night “could have been so much worse.”
He added: “You and your partner are both lucky to survive.
“It’s only due to luck that nobody else was hurt or killed.”
Alden carried out ‘horrific assault’ on ex-partner
During a four-day trial, jurors heard details about how Alden and Ms Eisma-Clinch met up at Exodus Nightclub at around 1am on October 11.
An argument ensued, with Alden storming out of the club followed by Ms Eisma-Clinch.
She told the court that Alden told her he was going to drive home and, knowing he was drunk, she wanted to stop him so she followed him along Belmont Street and onto Union Street.
As the pair entered the darkness of Diamond Street, Alden lunged at Ms Eisma-Clinch and grabbed her violently around the throat, pushing her into a bin.
He then grabbed her by the hair before clamping his hands around her throat once more.
Alden told police he shouted at her: “You can tell my kids why their dad killed himself.”
They then entered Golden Square where CCTV shows Alden grabbing Ms Eisma-Clinch by the hair and throat, pushing her against railings and forcing her to the ground.
Guilty of driving dangerously
As the pair got into the car and pulled away, three police vehicles arrived and Alden took 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 hitting a wall and 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.
Giving evidence, Ms Eisma-Clinch told the jury she assumed she was going to die, claiming Alden told her: “My suicide note is ready and you’re coming with me.”
A jury took just over an hour to find Alden guilty of the alternative charge of causing serious injury to Ms Eisma-Clinch by driving dangerously while under the influence of alcohol.
They did not find him guilty of endangering her life.
He was also found guilty of assaulting her on the night of the crash by seizing her around the neck, pushing her against railings and shoving her to the ground.
Alden, a father-of-four, had already admitted charges of failing to stop on being requested to by police and two charges of using pneumatic tyres that were in breach of the Road Traffic Act.
He also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified at the time of the crash.
‘She pleaded with you not to drive, but that didn’t stop you’
Sentencing Alden, Sheriff Wallace told him that he was “satisfied” that only a prison sentence was appropriate in this case
“You were disqualified from driving but that didn’t stop you driving,” the sheriff said to Alden.
“You were out in the pub drinking alcohol that night and that didn’t stop you driving.
“You carried out a horrific assault on your partner in the city centre – you repeatedly seized her by the neck and threw her to the ground.
“She pleaded with you not to drive, but again, that didn’t stop you driving. When the police arrived at the scene they indicated for you to stop, again that didn’t stop you driving.
“Not only did you drive, you drove in an extremely dangerous manner and through the city centre at speed.
“You went through a red light on the opposing carriageway of the road and into railings on Crown Street, leaving your vehicle in the middle of the road on its roof.
“You did all this with your partner in the car with you.”
Sheriff Wallace sentenced Alden to 42 months in prison, backdated to October 20 2022 and disqualified him from driving for five years.
He also put a non-harassment order in place, meaning Alden cannot approach or contact Ms Eisma-Clinch for five years.
In relation to the second indictment, the sheriff made Alden subject to a community payback order with supervision for two years following his release from prison.
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