Dundee man avoids jail following fake cop stunt

Dawid Weclawik carried out the bizarre stunt - forcing Blair Shaw, 20, to pull over fearing he was in trouble from real officers.

A lighting unit discovered in Weclawik’s car was found to be able to perform the same lighting patterns as official police equipment.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard the 30-year-old appeared suddenly behind Mr Shaw on Dundee’s Coupar Angus Road shortly after midnight on June 28.

Fiscal depute Alan Kempton said: “The complainer saw the accused’s vehicle approach behind his vehicle very quickly.

“The accused then travelled very close to the complainer’s car, causing him to slow down and put on hazard lights.

“The complainer then saw blue and red flashing lights illuminated from the accused’s vehicle, which continued to travel closely behind.”

Mr Shaw and his passenger both believed they were being tailed by police so pulled over - only for Weclawik to pull alongside and shout something “unclear” at them.

He then drove off at speed - causing suspicious Mr Shaw to contact police.

The 20-year-old then saw Weclawik park and challenged him, asking if he was a real police officer.

Weclawik said he didn’t speak English and walked off.

Police arrived and found the lighting unit attached to the bottom of Weclawik’s windscreen with suction cops and he admitted he had installed it.

Weclawik, 30, of Ancrum Court, Dundee, pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer with intent to deceive while driving a car on the A923 Coupar Angus Road on June 28.

Defence solicitor Alexandra Short said the hi-viz jacket was not an attempt to look like an officer but erely something he was required to wear for his work at a chicken factory in Cupar.

She said: “He says he was agitated by the people driving in front of him and he put on the lights to overtake.

“He admits he did know what he was doing and is aware he shouldn’t be doing it.”

Sheriff Simon Collins QC deferred sentence for six months for Weclawik to be of good behaviour.

He said: “It strikes me as a rather bizarre set of circumstances.

“He appears to be remorseful and have been naive and stupid.

“I will defer sentence to make sure this was a one-off.”

Mr Shaw said the incident was “one of the most bizarre situations I’ve ever been involved in”.

He added: “It was pitch black and I was making my way along Coupar Angus Road.

“I could see a car bombing up behind me.

“I tried to increase the distance between us but he sped up so I decided to put on my hazards and slow down to try and get the guy to back off, which he did.

“As we approached a roundabout the vehicle lit up what looked like police lights from the dashboard which made me think it was an unmarked car, but I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“He pulled up alongside me and I knew straight away he wasn’t a police officer.

“He shouted something which I couldn’t hear and then he drove off.

“I began to think ‘what if that had been a young woman and she’d been pulled over thinking he was a cop?”

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