Drunk crash driver in police chase walks free

A DRUNKEN youth who led police on a 50mph chase through Edinburgh before crashing through a fence has avoided jail – after being allowed to plead guilty to careless driving.

Dean Blues, 20, was originally charged with dangerous driving, but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to the reduced charge.

The decision was criticised by the sheriff who sentenced him to community service at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, and by the man who was awoken when Blues' car careered into his home.

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The court heard how Blues, a provisional licence holder, was nearly twice the legal limit when he was caught by police in Craigleith following the crash last April.

A police patrol had earlier noticed Blues' Vauxhall Corsa being driven erratically in Belford Road.

When they switched on the sirens and flashing lights, Blues, of Broomhouse Gardens East, made off at speeds of up to 50mph in a 30mph zone.

He overtook several vehicles, causing oncoming cars to swerve to avoid a collision, before losing control and crashing in Marischal Place.

Sentence was deferred until yesterday for background reports when Sheriff Andrew Lothian sentenced him to 200 hours community service.

He also ordered the fiscal depute to inform his superiors that he was unhappy that a lesser plea had been accepted by the Crown.

"An unqualified driver, more than twice the limit, driving at 50mph in a 30mph area, is clearly dangerous driving" he said.

Joe Walker, 59, who was sleeping when the car careered into his ground-floor flat, also criticised the Crown's decision.

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The steelworker said: "I think this decision to allow him to plead guilty to careless driving is pretty poor. There has been a lot of criticism in recent years over excessive leniency in charges involving driving and this seems to be another example.

"Careless driving suggests causing an accident through carelessness. Drinking then trying to escape from the police isn't careless, it's clearly dangerous. I'm not pleased with the decision."

Mr Walker was woken by a sound like an "explosion" as the car spun out of control during the chase and damaged his flat. He said he felt the building shake as the crash destroyed 15 metres of metal railings and shattered one of his windows.

Called "The Dip", residents have called for traffic calming measures at the corner on Queensferry Road, just beyond the junction with Craigleith Road, an accident blackspot.

Tory justice spokesman, Bill Aitken MSP, added: "I fully understand Sheriff Lothian's concerns. Whilst the speed was not grossly excessive, the circumstances still merited a dangerous driving charge."

A Crown Office spokeswoman said: "We will, of course, consider carefully the comments made by Sheriff Lothian in relation to this case. The penalties for drink driving and dangerous driving are similar.

"In making his decision, the Depute Fiscal weighed up the public interest in securing the certainty of a conviction and disqualification, against the uncertainty of the outcome of a trial."

Sheriff Lothian also disqualified Blues from driving for three years and ordered him to sit the extended driving test after that.

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