Stenhousemuir ex-serviceman gave police the slip twice in blue Audi

Simon Bell (41) took away a blue Audi without the owner’s consent and proceeded to drive it, even though he did not have a licence or any insurance.

When police appeared and signalled him to stop he sped away from them on two separate occasions.

His driving offences only came to an end when the Audi ended up bashed and battered on the back of a recovery truck.

He appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded guilty to driving away a car without consent, failing to stop for police, dangerous driving at excessive speeds and driving without a licence or insurance at various locations in and around Glasgow, including Cumbernauld Road, on May 17 last year.

He also admitted driving without a licence or insurance and driving at excessive speeds on Ryehill Road and Broomfield Road, Glasgow on May 7, 2020.

Fiona Griffin, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was May 7, 2020 at 10.40pm when police saw the blue Audi driving at excessive speed and travelling through a roundabout without giving way.

"The car was signalled to stop by police but it drove off at excessive speed.”

Just ten days later and Bell was back on the road again in the same blue Audi, which officers soon realised was the one which gave their colleagues the slip a week earlier.

"It was 8.30pm when police saw the blue Audi,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “They recognised it as being involved in previous incidents when it had made off from the police.

"They carried out a PNC check and learned there were no insurance details relating to the vehicle. The blue Audi suddenly increased its speed and police followed, activating their blue lights and siren.

"The accused’s vehicle accelerated hard, failing to stop and accelerated away.”

The court heard that the car was later observed to be badly damaged on the back of a recovery truck.

It was later ascertained the vehicle had been sold to a woman and she told police it had been taken by the accused – who was her cousin’s partner – without her consent.

Officers later caught up with Bell and he admitted he had been driving the Audi and had failed to stop for police.

Defence solicitor Lynn Swan said: “He had been having difficulties with his memory following on from an injury he received when he was a serving soldier.”

She added he had become addicted to the medication he received to treat his injury and has had a number of health difficulties, including pneumonia.

Sheriff Craig Harris fined Bell, 30 Hillary Road, Stenhousemuir £640 to be paid back at a rate of £20 per fortnight.

He was warned by the sheriff imprisonment would be imposed if he failed to pay the fine or missed any payments and could see him go to jail for 28 days.

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FKH/V