Carronshore banned driver took children along for the ride

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Jade Makarewicz (27) had pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance on Glensburgh Road, Grangemouth on May 15 last year.

The court heard Makarewicz had been banned from driving due to past offences.

Rachel Hill, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 11.15pm when police detected a silver Volkswagen Golf being driven in an erratic manner and noticed there were two young children in the vehicle.

"When police spoke to the accused she told them she had no driver’s licence or valid insurance.”

Defence solicitor Simon Hutchison explained to the court why Makarewicz took the decision to drive on that particular day.

He said: “She lives in Carronshore and I know her mother does live in Grangemouth. She had been told abut her mother’s ill health. She realises how stupid she was – this was a difficult period in her life."

Back in June last year the Makarewicz narrowly avoided a custodial sentence after she had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failure to stop for police and driving without a licence in Glasgow Road, Dennyloanhead on August 28, 2020.

Driving an Audi A3, she was signalled to stop by police activating their blue lights. They followed her into a 30mph built up area and she overtook a pedal cyclist at 60mph.

She then tried to turn right, but failed to negotiate the right hand turn and hit the road embankment, causing damage to the front nearside wheel of the vehicle.

She continued to drive along at 20mph – apparently the fastest the vehicle could now drive – and drove up onto the road embankment in an attempt to lose police, but scraped the side of the police vehicle and rendered her own vehicle undriveable. She then ran from her car.

Dealing with the May 15, 2021 case last Thursday, Sheriff Craig Harris banned Makarewicz, 41 Main Street, Carronshore, from driving for 32 months and places her on a restriction of liberty order, meanign she must remain in her home between 8pm and 7am for the next seven months.