Speeding drivers of £600,000 worth of cars banned from the road
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Four motorists who drove £600,000 worth of high performance cars at almost 100mph on a Highland road have been banned from driving.
The quartet were also fined a total £4400 by Sheriff Gary Aitken who warned the highly paid men they were fortunate he couldn't forfeit their vehicles.
They all admitted a lesser charge of driving carelessly on a one and a half mile straight stretch of road of the 60mph A890 near Glencarron on April 27, 2019 at 95mph. The original charge accused them of dangerously driving at over 120mph which would have entitled the Sheriff to seize the cars.
Dundee company director, 57 year old Walter Milne of Rosemill Road, Bridgefoot drove a McLaren 675LT, worth almost £300,000 as only 500 were ever made; his 49 year old company director brother, Callum of Baldovan, Strathmartine, Dundee was behind in a £100,000 Porsche 911 GTS.
He was followed by 38 year old car dealership owner Steven Brown of Main Street, Barry, Carnoustie in his £164,000 Lamborghini Hurricane.
Bringing up the rear of the convoy was 25 year old engineer Finlay Coghill of Meadow Croft, Kinmuck, Inverurie in his £40,000 BMW M240i.
Brown was banned from driving for six weeks and fined £1400 as he had a previous road traffic conviction committed just two months before this offence.
The other three were each fined £1000 and disqualified for four weeks.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Inverness Sheriff Court that police were carrying out speed checks on the road about noon, stopped the foursome, charged them and allowed them on their journey.
She added that the weather was dry and good with light traffic.
Walter Milne, whose company Metaltech was involved in the construction of Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool as well as Dundee's £35.1 million pool complex, was represented by solicitor Ian Sievwright.
He told the court: "The vehicle, which he still has, had braking facilities beyond the normal car."
The lawyer added that the company was "struggling financially" due to the pandemic.
Sheriff Aitken commented: "These are braking facilities for driving on tracks. He still has the car so his financial difficulties can't be that bad."
Rory Gowan for Callum Milne, who was not present as he was tested positive for Covid, said: "He has changed his manner of driving and no longer has the Porsche. He now has a Land Rover."
Steven Farmer, solicitor for Brown said: "The car was sold almost immediately after this offence and there has been no further offending since."
Coghill's agent, Ronnie Simpson told the Sheriff: "He is a first offender and he was at the back of the group."
Sheriff Aitken asked him: "Was he just some young idiot thinking he can keep up with them?"
Mr Simpson replied: "No, he is certainly not. He has an engineering degree and knows them. He has changed his vehicle to a Ford Fiesta. This was a one-off incident."
Sentencing the drivers, Sheriff Aitken commented; "You were all half again as much as the speed limit. It shows a total disregard for other road users. If you had still been on the original charge, I would have been entitled to forfeit your vehicles.
"You are extremely lucky that this charge was accepted by the Crown."
