A teen has been locked up for putting the lives of soon-to-be mothers at risk by driving recklessly around a north-east hospital.
Kenneth Balgowan appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted driving dangerously while being pursued by police at the city’s maternity hospital on January 13.
The court heard officers had approached the 18-year-old at the hospital entrance, near Cornhill Road, but he did not stop the black Peugot 206 he was driving and proceeded to mount a pavement and grass embankment – narrowly avoiding crashing into nearby vehicles.
Balgowan – who was disqualified from driving at the time – drove recklessly “at excessive speeds” around the hospital grounds while pregnant women were seen walking in the area, the court heard.
His pregnant girlfriend, who had been at the hospital for an appointment, was in the car at the time, along with two others.
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard said police were alerted to the car at about 2pm, after it was spotted blocking one of the roads nearby.
She said: “Police witnesses attended the maternity hospital and made a search for (the) vehicle, identified the accused driving the vehicle on the one way road outside the entrance to the hospital.
“On activating the blue light the accused drove off at speed, negotiating his was around the one way system.
“He crossed a grass embankment, narrowly missing other parked vehicles. At this time there was a number of pedestrians around, including pregnant civilians.”
The car was later found abandoned.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client, of 97 School Drive, Aberdeen, had acted “without much thought to his actions and their consequences”.
Sheriff Edward Savage said: “Having heard the facts about the matter my mind has been made up because of the very serious nature.”
He described Balgowan’s behaviour as “irresponsible”, adding: “A custodial sentence is almost inevitable.”
Balgowan was sentenced to 27 weeks detention and was disqualified from driving for two and a half years.
