A 61-year-old Oban man was fined £2,000 at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after admitting driving carelessly by overtaking another vehicle at 100mph.
John Macalister, of 4 Ganavan Sands, was caught September 16 last year on the A95 Granish- Keith road, near Boat of Garten, by a police speed gun and officers proceeded to pull him over.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson also endorsed Macalister’s licence with four points – bringing his total up to 11 points and just one away from disqualification.
Macalister’s solicitor, Euan Robertson, had stressed during his mitigation that his client depended on his driving licence for work, which was only referred to as a “family business” in court.
At time of the offence Mr Robertson said that his client had been called out to Fraserburgh where a boat that he owned needed to be taken back out to sea.
Mr Robertson added: “He basically lives 24/7 on call and goes out at all hours to different parts of Scotland. He could be in Fraserburgh one day and Stranraer the next and travels 48,000miles per year.”
“At the time, he started to overtake and was intending to get past the vehicle, and the vehicle sped up and he accepts he reached the speed of 100mph. When he started the maoeuvre he had no intention reaching this speed.
Sheriff Neilson said: “I will, with some hesitation, impose four penalty points. That would have been six but for the guilty plea, and a fine of £2,000, which would have been £2,500.”
Macalister agreed to pay the fine within one month.
