Police blocked road in bid to stop driver

Police blocked the road approaching Hyndford Bridge

Ross Morren drove fron one police check to the other, then managed to veer round another police block on the A73.

At Lanark Sheriff Court last Wednesday, Morren, 25, of Edinburgh, admitted failing to stop when required to do so,on September 28, then driving dangerously, swerving towards a police vehicle, mounting a verge, turning when it was not safe, driving on the opposite carriageway towards an oncoming police vehicle and losing control.

The incident happened at 11am when the road was wet, and other traffic was about.

Officers in a marked police car saw a red Honda Civic travelling towards them and signalled to it to stop.

“The accused then swerved his car towards the police vehicle and thereafter onto a grass verge, mounting it to enable him to make off towards Hyndford Bridge,” said depute fiscal Ziad Hassan.

Those officers put out a broadcast to other officers, and another officer took up position at Hyndford Bridge with a marked police vehicle.

“The accused drove towards him, made a three-point turn manoeuvre and made off again at high speed in the direction he had come,” said Mr Hassan.

And as Morren returned to the first two officers “they observed him driving directly towards them on the wrong side of the carriageway, overtaking vehicles at speed”.

Morren braked harshly, skiding sideways, but did another three-point turn.

“He tried to make off at speed back towards Hyndford Bridge, where the officer had used his vehicle to close the roadway.

“He then made a sharp turn at Devonside Road, travelling towards Carmichael.”

They lost sight of him, but other officers saw him join the A73 in front of them.

“They signalled him to stop and positioned their vehicle across the road to prevent him passing, but he swerved around it and made off towards Abington,” said Mr Hassan.

A solicitor for Morren said that on each occasion he had been far enough away from the officers that there had been no danger of him hitting them.

Sentence was deferred for background reports.