A drunk driver who drove his van down the wrong side of a dual carriageway and rammed a woman’s car has been jailed for more than two years.
Slawomir Stiller, 49, was found to be almost six times over the legal driving limit following the incidents on the A9 near Inverness in May this year. Several witnesses provided police with dashcam footage which showed Stiller’s reckless driving as he travelled south on the northbound lane.
He reached 60 miles per hour and police also found a bottle of whisky and medication in his car after receiving 12 calls to 999 over him.
He appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to charges that included drink driving, dangerous driving, assault and threatening behaviour. He was sentenced to 28 months in jail and was disqualified from driving for nine years and two months.
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Alison McKenzie, Procurator Fiscal for Grampian, Highlands and the Islands, said: “Slawomir Stiller showed a reckless disregard for the safety of other motorists.
“It is entirely possible that his conduct could have resulted in a fatal incident.
“He will now spend a period in prison as a consequence of his actions.”
The court was told that Stiller drove his car clockwise around the Tore roundabout with his full beam lights on before proceeding to enter the northbound carriageway of the A9 while driving south.
One driver had to swap lanes to avoid being hit by Stiller’s oncoming van as it mounted verges and drove directly towards them. A female driver was then targeted by Stiller who tried to block her into a lay-by as she made a 999 call. She drove off towards Kessock Bridge but the accused overtook her and then reversed his car into hers before attempting to open her door and punching her vehicle.
Police received calls from concerned road users and eventually officers were forced to set up a rolling roadblock to try and stop Stiller’s vehicle.
When he was apprehended, he was unsteady on his feet and shouting in an incoherent manner at the woman who he believed was his wife. He was eventually arrested and a roadside breath tests revealed his alcohol level to be 136 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than six times the legal limit of 22 microgrammes.
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